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CAPTAIN PLUCK 


ISLA MAY MULLINS 






V 





CAPTAIN PLUCK 


BY 


I SLA MAY MULLINS 

n 


Author of “The Blossom Shop,” “Uncle Mary,” “Anne's 
Wedding,” “Timothy's Second Wife,” etc. 



YORK 


GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 




COPYRIGHT, 1923, 

BY THE SUNDAY SCHOOL BOARD 
OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION 


fh/ 'HSF£RREO FROM 
OOPYRIGHT OFFIO? 
SO* Vi ?S2S 


CAPTAIN PLUCK. I 


PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 


MAY -3 1923 



FOREWORD 


The author of this book hereby pub¬ 
licly acknowledges that she surrepti¬ 
tiously gathered the material for the 
story, gave facts her own interpretation 
and now offers them to her readers 
without consent of the leading charac¬ 
ter herein portrayed. 


Louisville , Ky. 


I. M. M. 



CONTENTS 


PROLOGUE . 

• 

• 

I 

A FRIGHT. 

• 

• 

II 

A TRIP WITH FATHER 

• 

• 

III 

VARIED EXPERIENCES 

• 

• 

IV 

A PUBLIC MAN IN EMBRYO 

• 

• 

V 

GHOSTS. 

• 

• 

VI 

GETTING DROWNED . 

• 

• 

VII 

A MOVE. 

• 

• 

VIII 

IN TEXAS . 



IX 

HUNTING PRAIRIE CHICKENS 

• 

X 

BEN. 


• 

XI 

WILD GOOSE HUNTING 

• 

• 

XII 

a printer’s DEVIL 

• 

• 

XIII 

A NORTHER AND A PRAIRIE 

FIRE 

• 

XIV 

A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR . 

• 

• 

XV 

A YOUTHFUL DEBATER 

VELOPED .... 

IS DE- 

• • 

XVI 

A COLLEGE BOY . 

• 

• 

XVII 

A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR AGAIN 

• 

XVIII 

A STUDENT OF LAW . 

• 

• 

XIX 

ANCHORED .... 

• 

• 


PAGE 

11 

13 

l6 

26 

37 

42 

5o 

57 

64 

69 

80 

95 

103 

123 

132 

164 

176 

199 

221 

228 





/ 


% 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 







/ 


« 



CAPTAIN PLUCK 


PROLOGUE 

T HE New Year had just opened 
with its fresh promise of life and 
eager beginnings, when an unusual stir 
came upon a country household in the 
stillness of a southern winter night, and 
after it had died away somewhat the 
man stepped into his wife’s room and 
beheld a bundle of muslin and lace 
folded close within her arms. 

“A boy,” she said, her eyes like stars. 
“A boy!” he repeated joyfully. The 
little son for whom he had longed. 
There had been three sturdy small girls, 
but he wanted the son,—and the son 
had been given him. 


12 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

The man dropped upon his knees by 
his wife’s bed, tears of joy flooding his 
cheeks. Her eyes o’erflowed in re¬ 
sponse, but only to heighten the ecstasy 
which stirred in their depths. 

A prayer came involuntarily to the 
man’s lips: 

"O, Lord may this our son preach thy word to 
needy men.” 


I 


A FRIGHT 


I T was Sunday morning and Paul 
Shelton, the preacher’s little boy, 
was at church for the first time. He 
sat very still beside his three older sis¬ 
ters for awhile listening to the singing, 
the prayers, and looking at the people, 
but when Father began to talk straight 
along about things he didn’t under¬ 
stand, while everybody sat motionless, 
and even the little sisters seemed al¬ 
most inanimate to him, he grew rest¬ 
less. He was an out-door boy anyway, 
and when Mother was not noticing, he 
slipped from his seat down the aisle and 
out into the churchyard. There the 

birds kept him company, and the fallen 

13 


14 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

leaves rustled gaily as he trudged 
through them, just as they did at home. 
He had been very anxious to come to 
the mysterious thing which the older 
folk called church,—and it was nice, 
but in spite of his preacher ancestry he 
decided the outside was more to his lik¬ 
ing than the inside. He was soon on a 
tour of investigation and made his way 
down a slope to the back of the church 
building, where he discovered a narrow 
trench cut in a sweeping curve some¬ 
thing like a road, but with big pieces 
of wood lying cross-wise all along it and 
two shining strips of steel laid upon 
them. He had hardly time to wonder 
what it was for, when there came a loud 
rumble from around the curve and the 
next instant a great puffing, hissing, 
smoking, terrible thing rushed by like 
something wild. O, the terror of that 


A FRIGHT 15 

moment, and how he fled for the church! 
“Father, Father!” The little feet flew 
up the aisle while the breast heaved 
with swelling sobs. But a friendly, 
inviting smile, and beckoning hand held 
out from one of the pews stopped him 
and soon a big, red apple helped to 
choke down the sobs. Inside the fold 
proved best after all was his sage con¬ 
clusion. 


II 


A TRIP WITH FATHER 

P AUL, a small boy of six years with 
short, brown curls pushing out 
from the brim of his cap, sat on a big 
bay horse at the doorstep, his legs kick¬ 
ing the bay’s sides energetically, a sig¬ 
nal which the bridle did not need to 
countermand, for Prince well knew his 
little rider only meant play. 

Mr. Shelton, a tall, dark-haired man 
with brown eyes which were the coun¬ 
terpart of the boy’s, soon came out, and 
vaulting easily into the saddle upon 
the big bay’s mate, gave a touch from 
his booted heel and started both horses 
briskly down the road. 

Mrs. Shelton, tall and willowy, stood 

16 


A TRIP WITH FATHER 17 

in the doorway and smiled as long as 
a little brown hand could be seen wav¬ 
ing gleefully back, and occasionally 
waved in response. 

The two were going some fifteen 
miles away to drive home a new milch 
cow and her calf which Mr. Shelton had 
bought, and Paul was so proud to be 
riding off horseback with Father. The 
horses were his intimate friends, he had 
been upon their backs at will ever since 
he could remember, but this was his 
first long ride away from home. They 
cantered down the road in the sweet 
spring time, the boy talking about 
everything along the way and Mr. Shel¬ 
ton responding absently, or more fre¬ 
quently not at all, for he was a preacher 
and thinker, and being a planter as well, 
sermons were not often made under a 


l8 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

roof, but texts were chosen and argu¬ 
ments unfolded in the open. 

As the day went on the boy’s chatter 
lessened, till the last three or four miles 
were passed in silence, and had the 
father noticed he would have seen the 
little fellow straighten up manfully 
over and over to keep from falling 
asleep, but he was too proud to com¬ 
plain. At last they drew rein before a 
substantial farmhouse, and were greeted 
cordially by a genial, rotund gentleman. 

Mr. Coleman at once stepped up to 
the little fellow and taking him in his 
capacious arms said, “Well, little chap, 
I came mighty near thinking you were 
a squirrel perched upon this big mare 
and just shooing you off to the woods, 
but I believe you are a sure enough boy, 
and you can come right in to the fire.” 
It had grown chilly as night came on. 


A TRIP WITH FATHER 19 

They went in and had a good supper 
of broiled ham, hot biscuits and syrup, 
then gathered around the fire again. 
This time Father did the talking, the 
host and his wife proving good lis¬ 
teners, and the talk went on and on un¬ 
ceasingly the boy thought. He pulled 
himself together over and over, trying 
manfully to keep awake and erect, but 
O he was so tired! The long, long ride 
in the air, the open fire, the full little 
stomach with the flow of talk which he 
could not understand, were all too much 
for him. Never through a long life 
would he forget that evening. “O 
would they never, never ask him to go 
to bed? O, oh, he could not stand it 
another minute!” But nobody noticed, 
and he was visiting, and Mother had 
said he must behave very, very nice, oh, 
oh, oh! 


20 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

But all things do end at last, and he 
was finally in bed fast asleep beside his 
father, miles and miles away from home 
and Mother. 

Next morning when Paul opened his 
eyes Father was almost dressed, and he 
couldn’t think where he was. He looked 
about for awhile for Flora, Blanche and 
Sallie. Not one was in sight, or what 
was more remarkable, within hearing, 
and even their bed was gone! Then 
the strange room pressed in upon his 
consciousness and memory of the great 
journey he had made came thrillingly 
back. He bounded up, a new boy after 
the night’s rest, and was soon dressed. 

Mr. and Mrs. Coleman had no chil¬ 
dren, and both gave him warm greet¬ 
ing when he went in to breakfast. 

“Well, brer Squirrel,” said Mr. Cole¬ 
man, “did you sleep any last night?” 


A TRIP WITH FATHER 21 

Paul 5 s eyes twinkled at the gay ques¬ 
tion while he timidly said, “Yes, Sir.” 

“And are you going to drive off my 
muley cow and her baby this morning?” 

There was another pleased, timid, 
“Yes, sir,” and the elders took up the 
talk after the old fashioned way of 
elders who expected children to be seen 
and not heard. 

After breakfast the cow and calf were 
brought out, Mr. Coleman tenderly pat¬ 
ting the gentle animal in good-bye after 
the manner of one who loves his brutes, 
while Paul and his father mounted the 
bays once more and the little proces¬ 
sion soon started off. Both carried 
whips, the father a big, long one, while 
Paul’s was slim and smaller. 

Mr. Coleman laughed as he saw the 
little erect figure on the big bay, and the 


22 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

business-like swing of his whip as they 
started off, and he called out: 

' “See here, brer Squirrel, I’m going to 
have a ranch out West some day, and I 
want you for head cow-boy.” 

“All right,” called back the high 
treble voice, as he followed after the 
nervous cow and bleating calf. 

Poor, helpless dumb brutes, we will 
that they shall leave a home where all 
life has been spent, we take them from 
the meadows where they have grazed 
and slept, from the mates that have 
given them companionship, and drive 
them over strange, rough roads whither 
they know not. Paul’s tender heart was 
touched a moment later when, to his 
astonishment, as they passed the famil¬ 
iar bounds of the muley’s home, she ran 
hither and thither and mooed pathet¬ 
ically. 


A TRIP WITH FATHER 23 

“Why, she don’t want to go with us, 
Father,” he said in surprise and dismay. 

Mr. Shelton laughed and replied, 
“Of course she doesn’t, but we must 
take her anyway.” 

“But, Father, she may not like to stay 
when we get her home,” persisted the 
little boy. 

His father laughed again and said, 
emphatically, “Well, what of that?” 
and was too busy heading the cow here 
and there to think of sentiment. 

But a damper had fallen on the little 
boy’s spirit and he did his part only in 
a half-hearted way, till his father said 
sharply: “Look here, are you the boy 
that was going to help me drive this 
cow and calf home? I’ll have to bring 
Blanche next time.” 

This was enough: ignoring the tender 
appeal of his heart with true soldier 


24 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

courage and spirit, he threw himself 
into the task and proved a good herds¬ 
man. There was a most exciting time 
when they came to a deep railroad cut 
over which a bridge had been thrown 
and the poor, bewildered cow seemed 
determined not to cross it. In her fright 
she ran straight to the edge of the em¬ 
bankment and seemed about to plunge 
over when a wild bleat from the calf 
helped Mr. Shelton to turn her course. 

It was altogether a stirring experi¬ 
ence and Paul’s cheeks glowed and his 
eyes were full of the fire of victory 
when they finally drove the muley and 
her calf into the stable yard at home. 
But when the thrill of battle was over, 
and he stood that evening by the tired 
cow as she lay with the nestling calf, 
he thought she seemed to look at him re¬ 
proachfully with her big, brown eyes 


A TRIP WITH FATHER 2^ 

and he laid his head against her and 
sobbed. It proved a sympathetic com¬ 
pact between him and the cow which 
neither forgot. Perhaps he was a link 
for her between the old home and the 
new, she had seen him there, she saw 
him here,—and brute-like she forgave 
him. 


Ill 


VARIED EXPERIENCES 

T ALL for his years and rather slen¬ 
der, Paul always went swinging 
along with a little spring in his step 
which betokened perennial exhilaration. 
He was ever on a tour of investigation 
that held most interesting possibilities, 
and often dangers as well. 

One morning he might have been 
seen in this characteristic gait going 
along a new locality looking for de¬ 
velopments of interest on the right hand 
and on the left. He came to a large 
yard with a high, close board fence and 
the big gate thereto standing a bit open. 
Of course he stepped in, took a look 
about and while he was wonderingly 

26 


VARIED EXPERIENCES 27 

observing the make-up of a butcher’s 
pen, a pack of dogs suddenly rushed 
into view, and with terrific growls and 
snapping came upon him. The first im¬ 
pulse was flight and run he did with all 
his might, but in an instant the fero¬ 
cious beasts had thrown him to the 
ground, and only the fact that there 
were so many of them that they were 
in one another’s way, prevented his be¬ 
ing instantly torn to pieces. Their 
very frenzy kept any one of them from 
being allowed to reach him with their 
gaping jaws, and the butcher’s force of 
men were at last upon them beating 
them right and left. 

When they stood the little fellow 
upon his feet at last, he cried, “They 
didn’t get me! I’m not hurt!” 

Investigation proved that there were 
many scratches but only one bite of 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


28 

much consequence. This was on the arm. 
One of the men insisted on taking him 
home and explaining the accident. 
When they reached the house Mr. Shel¬ 
ton and Uncle Ed were arguing some 
theological points on the front porch, a 
favorite occupation for them. After 
they had heard the story and the arm 
had been properly dressed, Mr. Shelton 
said: 

“If that boy was not the luckiest 
fellow in the world he wouldn’t be 
alive a week. He is always getting into 
some danger.” 

“I would choose the term ‘plucky’ in¬ 
stead,” said Uncle Ed, still argumenta¬ 
tive, but also observant, as the little 
fellow walked off unconcerned as 
though nothing had happened, and the 
next time he met Paul greeted him 
with: 


VARIED EXPERIENCES 2Q 

“How are you, Captain Pluck?” 

With a flash of interest and inquiry 
in his eyes the boy looked up, but his 
Uncle Ed went straight on. Paul did 
not understand exactly how it had come 
about, but he proudly gathered the idea 
that Uncle Ed thought him plucky and 
determined to deserve the name. He 
had been told after his encounter with 
the dogs never to run from one but to 
stand his ground, and this he deter¬ 
mined to do henceforth. His resolu¬ 
tion was put to severe test a few years 
later when in passing some negro cabins 
a group of angry dogs came upon him. 
He halted at once and called to two 
men within hearing to come to his help, 
but they went their way thinking that 
the dogs meant no harm, and he stood 
firmly in their midst keeping them at 
bay till a colored woman ran with a 


30 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

kettle of boiling water and sent them 
flying, while he came off with torn 
trousers and coat-sleeves and sundry 
scratches as trophies. 

Captain Pluck clung to him as a 
name and on the whole was not inap¬ 
propriate. 

Paul thought if it was good policy 
not to run from dogs, it might be well 
to stand your ground in other en¬ 
counters. Soon after the first experience 
with dogs, he came running in the 
house one evening about dusk, every 
nerve and muscle alive with interest 
and excitement. 

“O, Mother,” he cried, £ Tve seen a 
real, live bear!” 

She quietly smiled her disbelief. 

“O, but I did, Mother! I met him 
in the road and at first I was so s’prised 
I didn’t know what to do. But then 


VARIED EXPERIENCES 


31 

I thought 'well, I’m not going to run, 
Mr. Bear/ and I stood right still. He 
stood still too, and we looked good at 
each other. Then he raised up on his 
hind legs and let his fore paws hang, 
like a dog doing tricks. At last he 
put them down and trotted away. 
Truly, Mother, it was a real bear.” 

"Why, child, there are no bears about 
here, it couldn’t be,” said his mother. 
But just then a man came in, all ex¬ 
citement, and told of meeting a bear 
down the road from which he had run 
with all his speed. And he declared he 
heard the bear coming after him for a 
long distance till he got away from the 
woods into the open. It really proved 
that a tame bear had escaped his keeper 
and the village was in a state of excite¬ 
ment until he was captured. 

About this time, however, there came 


32 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

an episode under which the little boy’s 
flying colors faded somewhat. 

He was down at the sawmill watch¬ 
ing the hauling of huge piles of lumber 
that were bound together by chains and 
attached to oxen. As a big load started 
off across the field, the lumber bobbing 
about heavily on the uneven surface, it 
suddenly seemed to Paul a fine oppor¬ 
tunity for a ride. So, bounding forward, 
he mounted a swaying lumber pile and 
for a brief space rode gaily on. Then, 
alas, over went the heavy timber, catch¬ 
ing Paul’s leg fast beneath it! Lustily 
he screamed, while the big black driver 
ran to his rescue, and finally carried the 
little boy with a badly lacerated, blood- 
smirched leg (but undamaged lungs) to 
the house. Into his mother’s arms he 
went, while the family gathered about, 
and screams abated not till his father 


VARIED EXPERIENCES 33 

sternly said, “Where’s that Captain 
Pluck Uncle Ed talks about?” 

Living up to high ideals, even as rep¬ 
resented in a name, is not always easy 
as Paul was often to find. Life unfolds 
for the young in most interesting and 
delightful ways, but death stalks always 
beside Life, and children, even, cannot 
evade it! 

For Paul Life one sunny spring morn¬ 
ing brought a wonderful surprise. His 
father came in and smiling down on the 
boy, said, “Come with me, I have some¬ 
thing for you.” 

So, together, the two made their way 
through the back yard and down to a 
large lot where the horses grazed and 
rested. As soon as they came in sight of 
the lot, Paul spied a little colt stalking 
beside its mother on very wobbly legs. 

“O, father, there is a new little colt!” 


34 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

His father smiled in return, and when 
they stood by the tall, wobbly young 
sorrel, said quietly, “It is yours, if you 
want it.” 

Want it? The boy was in ecstasy. 

How he watched that colt! For days 
he would hardly leave the lot, and won¬ 
derful visions grew through several 
weeks of the time to come when he 
would prance about on his own pony! 

But, alas, that lurking shadow of 
Life! 

One morning Paul went down to the 
lot, as usual, and a negro stable boy told 
him at the door that his colt was dead— 
had been kicked in the head by a horse. 

Dead! What did dead mean? Paul 
had heard the word, of course, many 
times, but it had not touched Life within 
his range of vision. He looked so dazed 


VARIED EXPERIENCES 35 

and uncomprehending that the stable 
boy said brutally, “Come yere an 5 look. 5 ’ 

And Paul looked for the first time on 
the ruthlessness of death. 

His beloved little colt lay before him 
stiff and staring! O, it was horrible! 

He turned and ran stumbling and 
sobbing to his mother. 

“My colt is dead. Dead! I can’t 
have my colt dead, I can’t, I can’t!” 

And it took both father and mother 
to quiet, to comfort and to try to make 
him understand. 

Of course the inevitableness of death 
finally settled upon the young spirit, 
and in turn was transmuted again 
through the overwhelming joy of Life, 
but it was a long time before Paul could 
talk about his colt. 

While this experience was still fresh, 
a little negro child down at the “quar- 


36 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

ters” also died, and Paul, holding fast 
to Aunt Sofy’s hand, looked with awe at 
the little lifeless thing. But it helped 
to reconcile and adjust his rebellious 
spirit, for his father talked tenderly of 
heaven, and as the boy listened, it 
opened for him a dawning sense of 
death’s necessity as an avenue to 
heaven—a place where everybody 
wanted to go, sometime! 


IV 


A PUBLIC MAN IN EMBRYO 

P AUL started early to school and 
made good progress with books. 
He had a natural aptitude for study 
and it opened to him a large realm for 
interesting investigation. But when 
there was added to this the stimulus of 
contest, he was in his element. So the 
spelling class was his great delight. The 
pupil who was head of the class at the 
end of the week must go to the foot for 
next week, and the scholar found at the 
head the greatest number of Friday 
afternoons within three months won a 
prize of great worth—perhaps fifty 
cents in silver! With every faculty 
alert Paul took part in these spelling 

37 


38 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

contests when about eight years old. 
His eyes sparkled with victory as Fri¬ 
day after Friday found him at the head 
of his class. And when at the end of 
three months a mammoth fifty cent 
piece was laid in his hands, no winner 
of the Victoria cross was ever more 
athrill with pride and joy. 

A school exhibition was at hand and 
Paul was given part. A little poem, 
beginning, 

“The lark is up to meet the sun, 

The bee is on the wing,” 

was given him to recite and was speed¬ 
ily committed to memory. He took 
the affair as a matter of course, just as 
he did an ordinary lesson. 

When the night arrived, however, he 
began to have a queer sensation as he 
looked out from the platform at the sea 
of faces before him, and he picked out 


A PUBLIC MAN IN EMBRYO 39 

father, mother and the little sisters from 
among them with no special feeling of 
pleasure. 

“The boy stood on the burning deck , 55 
unflinchingly, Bingen adorned the 
Rhine with ease if not grace, through 
the talent of other pupils, and then 
Paul was called upon to bring out his 
lark and bee. He stepped forward, but 
something certainly was the matter with 
his knees. Somehow he got to the front. 
Panic-stricken he managed to open his 
mouth and produce the lark; trem¬ 
blingly he brought it up to meet the 
sun, but wavered and wavered on the 
bee, finally breaking down utterly, 
without ever getting it on the wing,— 
and then, his legs recovering themselves 
marvelously, he rushed from the plat¬ 
form out the back door. 

He never was so astounded in his 


40 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

life! What did it all mean? He hadn’t 
the least idea, but was keenly, hope¬ 
lessly conscious of mortification from 
some source. 

When the family reached home, Paul 
walking dejectedly behind, alone, his 
father took him to task. 

“See here, Paul, what did you mean 
by giving up? You certainly do not 
deserve Uncle Ed’s name for you, and 
ought to have that fine spelling prize 
taken away from you if you have no 
more pluck than that. You ought to 
have stuck it out if it killed you. I 
can’t have any boy of mine a coward— 
one grain of courage would have car¬ 
ried you through that all right. Next 
time you are wanted for a thing like 
that, take the task and don’t let me be 
ashamed of you again.” 

This was heroic treatment, but it was 


A PUBLIC MAN IN EMBRYO 41 

effectual. The next time Paul ap¬ 
peared in public he went through his 
part, something like a cyclone perhaps, 
but he did not falter, although he 
thought as he rose and faced the crowd 
that death would surely come. Once 
having won, he had no further trouble, 
and learned in time, even as a boy, to 
greatly enjoy public speech. 


V 


GHOSTS 

F AVORITE haunts of the Shelton 
children, as with southern children 
everywhere a generation ago, were the 
kitchen and cabin of the family ser¬ 
vants. The kitchen was near the house, 
the cabin at the rear of the big back yard. 
The negro “quarters,” which housed 
those who worked on the plantation, 
were some distance back, and the chil¬ 
dren were not often allowed to go near 
them. 

Aunt Sofy, the cook, was their special 
favorite. They loved to gather at her 
cabin door, or invade her kitchen. 

“Now you chillun jes’ keep out o’ my 
kitchen,” Aunt Sofy would exclaim, 

42 


GHOSTS 43 

with a most inviting face that held 
them right there. 

“Lemme see yo 5 hands,” she would 
say next. And as they were held up she 
would scornfully command: “Go wash 

i ' 

'em dis minute, don 5 you come here wid 
no dirty hands . 55 They knew then what 
was coming and flew to the house to re¬ 
turn promptly displaying clean little 
palms. 

The soft dough was rolled out and 
each child allowed to lay its palm upon 
it, while Aunt Sofy’s knife followed 
the line of every finger and their very 
own hands were there, which were 
simply beautiful, and made most de¬ 
licious cakes when baked. 

There was the long line of snowy 
clothes which hung out on Mondays in 
the back yard to dry, and the long pole 
with a forked end to lift the swaying 


44 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

line, which was the cause of many child¬ 
ish troubles, for how could little feet 
always remember to keep far enough 
away, and when the pole came down 
and the snowy clothes swept the earth, 
the civil war was as nothing in compari¬ 
son. Aunt Sofy was mighty in her 
wrath if anything happened to “dem 
clothes,” and erring feet flew for refuge 
to the house. 

She was a great disciplinarian and 
when the children gathered in her cabin, 
she did not neglect her opportunity. 

“Yas, I makes my chillun mind! Ef 
dey don’t I jes’ hangs ’em up by de 
heels in de chimbly and smokes ’em wid 
red pepper.” And visions of their own 
small heels stuck up in that great “chim- 
bley,” with head hanging amid fumes 
of red pepper—which that unsteady 


GHOSTS 45 

clothes pole might any day bring about, 
kept them in reasonable subjection. 

Aunt Sofy was also a great believer 
in ghosts. 

“Ter be shore I saw ’em las’ night, 
right out dar at de garden, a standing 
in de gate. One great tall one in de 
middle an’ a small one on each side ob 
him, all ob ’em dressed in de whitest, 
coldest white dat was ever on arth. 
Ain’t I been seein’ ghostes all my life? 
I knows ’em.” 

The children listened awe-struck and 
flew to the house at last with throbbing 
hearts. But once in the warm, bright 
sitting room with father and mother, the 
ghosts vanished for the little girls. But 
Paul was highly imaginative and they 
didn’t leave him so easily. When the 
light was out at bedtime, he could peer 
through the darkness and there, sure 


46 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

enough, were Aunt Sofy’s three ghosts 
in the garden gate! The big tall one, 
and the short ones on each side, all 
dressed in the whitest, coldest white, 
like nothing on earth! He could see 
them just as plainly as she did, and if 
he waked in the night, sometimes he 
found them stationed in the corners of 
his room! 

Soon after making ghostly acquaint¬ 
anceship, Paul begged late one day to 
go over to Uncle Ed’s to spend the 
night. 

“Why, it is too far and too late for 
you to go alone over there,” his mother 
exclaimed in surprise at his wanting 
to go. 

“O, I’m not afraid,” returned Paul 
with real big-boy’s brag. 

“All right,” his mother replied smil¬ 
ingly, “go on.” 


GHOSTS 47 

So, off the little boy started with big, 
long strides. It was fully two miles 
over there, but he had walked it before, 
and of course there was nothing to be 
afraid of! 

The walk was fine against a stiff 
breeze, with home in sight and familiar 
things along the way—but dark in the 
south has a habit of coming down very 
suddenly, and with no warning. So, on 
that night when dark dropped its sombre 
curtain unheralded over everything, 
Paul, startled, looked quickly back to¬ 
ward home only to find the house lost in 
shadows. Then he turned as quickly 
again to look ahead for Uncle Ed’s 
house—but not a far tree or lofty chim¬ 
ney could he make out! 

But, lo! as he strained forward, his 
frightened eye caught sight of some¬ 
thing just ahead—something terrible! 


48 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

A great white something with gaunt 
waving arms! 

Paul took no second look. Whirling 
about, his feet flew back along the road 
with almost incredible swiftness till 
home was reached. Then, he suddenly 
remembered his brag that he wasn’t 
afraid to go over to Uncle Ed’s so late! 

He quickly decided to do his panting 
outside the house. When he finally 
went calmly in, nobody noticed him ex* 
cept mother, who threw him a wise 
smile. 

Next day he determined to find out if 
that great white thing was still in the 
corner of the fence,—and under the 
gleam of the morning sun it proved to 
be a tall, broken corn-stalk which had 
waved long white, sun-dried foliage in 
the stiff breeze! He stood still in the 
road and laughed heartily at himself. 


GHOSTS 49 

Then he thought scornfully of Aunt 
Sofy’s ghosts—and this experience 
should have banished them forever, but 
it must be recorded that it did not. 
Night and day are two such entirely 
different things! 

Besides those ghosts with which the 
old darkey peopled his childish mind 
were like Banquo’s, hard to down. 
They appeared and reappeared many 
times in his later life before he finally 
won fully the battle against super¬ 


stition. 


VI 


GETTING DROWNED 

O NE late summer day father and 
mother Shelton took the trio of 
little girls, Flora in all the importance 
of her superior years, Blanche all gleam 
and glisten, with dancing blue eyes and 
bobbing yellow ringlets which caught 
every straying gleam of sun, and Sallie 
with the clinging brown curls and big, 
soft, dark eyes, also the two boys, Paul 
and Willie,—all were fitted into the big 
carriage behind the two bays, and went 
over to Uncle Ed’s plantation home to 
spend the day. 

A wonderful day it was with little 

cousins to match little visitors, and they 

played and played such fascinating 

50 


GETTING DROWNED 51 

things as “I spy,” “stealing goods,” 
and “prisoner’s base”; then creeping un¬ 
der the house which stood well above 
the ground, they blew and blew into 
little piles of sand, calling, “Doodle, 
doodle, doodle, you’ll be late to get your 
supper,” when a little wriggly bug or 
worm was sure to delight them by com¬ 
ing to the surface. Wonderful psychic 
phenomenon! Then the girls, with 
dollies in their arms, drifted away on 
the tide of young motherhood, while 
the boys strode off after the manner of 
men. There were four of them: Paul 
and Lonnie and Johnnie and Willie. 
On they went past the barn. 

“Let’s go down to the mill pond,” 
exclaimed Lonnie, glancing furtively 
back as he did so to see if anybody 
was looking, for it was not greatly ap¬ 
proved as a place for little boys to play. 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


52 

“O, let’s,” came in chorus from the 
rest; so they raced down the long hill to 
the old mill, with its stagnant pond. 
There they threw stones and watched 
the circles widen until Lonnie further 
proposed that they go in swimming! 
This was enthusiastically agreed to. 
None of them had ever been in swim¬ 
ming or had seen any one swim, but 
what mattered that! They had heard 
about it, and one thing was certain, 
clothes must come off and the water be 
gotten into. So they speedily undressed 
and then looked at one another. Paul 
being the eldest, recognized that he must 
of course be leader, so in he bravely 
stepped. It was pretty wet, yes, but 
pshaw! you have to get wet when you 
swim. He went forward, step after 
step, the water rising higher and higher 
on his slim little body. 


GETTING DROWNED 53 

“Come on / 5 he shouted back with 
great bravado, when lo, another step 
and he went instantly down, down out 
of sight. The others, who had begun 
to follow, scrambled back to the bank, 
screaming as they went, but no one was 
within hearing. 

When the drowning boy came up, 
with instinctive alertness of mind he 
made a desperate plunge for the bank 
from which he had stepped, but caught 
his toe in the yielding earth only to 
have it crumble beneath him and under 
he went again. But the lunge forward 
had brought him nearer the bank, and 
as he came up a second time, once more 
desperately, he dug in a toe and tore at 
the water with his hands till he caught 
a foothold. Then, spent and breathless, 
he slowly made his way toward the bank 


54 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

where the others, still shouting and 
screaming, pulled him out. 

He lay awhile on the bank and the 
shivering children stood over him till he 
gathered breath again, then it was a 
chastened quartette that hustled into 
their clothes and started for the house. 
Lonnie suggested that they go round 
the big road, “so’s Paul’s hair’d get 
dry,” and though no agreement was 
made, it was tacitly understood among 
them that “All’s well that ends well,” 
and “Least said soonest mended,” but 
another proverb also proved to be in 
full force: “Murder will out.” 

About this period a shock came to 
Paul in a very unexpected way. He 
failed most ignominiously in some task 
his father had set him to do. But with a 
boy’s usual sang-froid, being upbraided 
for it, he was taking the rebuke quite 


GETTING DROWNED 55 

philosophically when suddenly his 
father’s keen eyes flashed fire, and he 
said with heat: 

“You are an absolutely worthless 
boy, not to be depended upon for any¬ 
thing!” 

Worthless! His father, who stood 
for all that was high in human character, 
his father, who was infallible in judg¬ 
ment, had found him worthless! 

The boy moved at last, and went off 
to himself, a burden like a mill-stone 
fastened about his neck. 

Several days brought no change, and 
the wise father observing regretfully 
(as parents must do, not having at¬ 
tained full perfection themselves), 
called the boy to him and in a casual 
way assigned him an unusual task, with 
—“I know it is going to be hard for you 
to do this just right; but then, you can 


$6 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

do anything that you want to do—you 
are just that kind of a boy!” 

The heavens flashed light, and the 
young spirit leaped to hope and deter¬ 
mination, not only for that task, but for 
many others in the life that followed. 

At sight of the boy’s speaking face, 
the father turned away with complete 
satisfaction. 


VII 


A MOVE 

T HE Shelton family lived in the 
little town of Crystal Springs. It 
was just after the war, the country was 
devastated and there was great unrest 
among the men who remained after the 
long carnage. One evening a man 
stopped at the door of the Shelton home 
and asked to stay all night. In those 
days such a request was not yet refused, 
so he came in. After the evening meal, 
as he sat and smoked with the preacher, 
he talked enthusiastically of the great 
state which he had lately made his 
home, Texas. He told of the vast plains 
of rich land just waiting for man to sow 
and reap. He told of its marvelous 

57 


58 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

possibilities. He had simply come back 
to tell his relatives and friends the 
glorious tale. Encouraged by the keen 
interest of the preacher, and upon 
hearty invitation, he remained several 
days. Mr. Seaman, the children’s Uncle 
Ed, came over and listened too, with 
quickened hope. This was the begin¬ 
ning of a strong impelling toward 
Texas. Mrs. Shelton had demurred at 
first with the startled cry that she could 
not leave her people and ended with 
an oft reiterated, pathetic objection: 
there was a little grave in the country 
church-yard, how could she leave it! 

Both Mr. and Mrs. Shelton’s people 
were of the best families in the state. 
In legislative halls, in education, in 
things of culture and advancement they 
had been leaders, while for social inter¬ 
mingling they kept open homes after 


A MOVE 59 

the old-time southern fashion. Now, 
the young family of our story looked 
out from a pleasant country home upon 
broad acres of good rich land and abun¬ 
dant fruit orchards, with a pair of fine 
carriage horses and sturdy mules for the 
plantation work, and good barns for 
their housing. 

But the general spirit of unrest, the 
disturbed and shiftless state of negro 
labor, the frequent, serious race riots, 
gave pointed appeal to the stranger’s 
story and finally Mr. Shelton and Mr. 
Seaman, both preacher-planters, re¬ 
signed their charges, sold their planta¬ 
tions, packed household goods and 
started with their families for the great 
southwest. 

Such days of excitement and interest 
those were for the children. To Paul 
there came strange minor notes in his 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


6o 

boyhood’s melody as he walked through 
the empty rooms which had been home, 
and his eyes were wet when he laid a 
hand upon his cow and dog for the last 
time, but the minor notes were soon lost 
in the gay chorus of expectation. They 
left home at nine o’clock one autumn 
night, and as he stood peering in the 
darkness for the head-light of the en¬ 
gine which was to bear them into the 
unknown, he was athrill with the elixir 
of real adventure. A wonderful trip it 
was across the low country, with flying 
telegraph poles and constantly chang¬ 
ing landscape. 

They knelt on the seats at the car 
windows by the hour watching things 
fly past. There were other children 
traveling with whom they made shy ac¬ 
quaintance, and all took frequent trips 
to the water cooler for the fun of almost 


A MOVE 


6l 

falling in the rocking, swaying aisles 
of the coach. Every meal was a picnic 
during which somebody was always cry¬ 
ing, “Look there quick,” and “O, see 
that!” 

They stopped at last in the city of 
New Orleans. There they went to a 
big hotel, and life began to open up its 
possibilities. When his father took 
Paul by the hand and walked out with 
him at night, fairy-land burst upon him. 
The brightly lighted streets and stores, 
the gay display of color and many mar¬ 
velous things which the window-lined 
pavements held up to view, the beauti¬ 
fully dressed people, laughing and talk¬ 
ing gaily, the handsome carriages, with 
high stepping horses and shining har¬ 
ness, made a real wonderland for him. 
The boy was certainly in a new world. 

Then the hour came when they went 


62 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

to the wharf and took a steamer across 
the gulf to Galveston. Paul had heard 
this voyage talked of much, and in his 
excited interest, as he listened to stories 
of how the waves oft covered the ship, 
he expected to be much of the time 
under water, going through waves as 
one would a tunnel. But once upon 
her, the big ship seemed to ride high 
upon the rolling sea, mounting huge 
waves like a thing of life. A storm 
was soon in progress. How the long, 
dark wave-mounds raced on and on like 
monsters playing tag, to break at last 
in white, foaming spray which they 
threw from them in plume-like beauty. 
As Paul watched this rolling, seething 
sea it seemed the most wonderful, awe¬ 
some thing he had ever seen. 

Then came the queer little beds 
where they were put to sleep,—and 


A MOVE 63 

sleep they did till the morning broke, 
bright and beautiful for them in Gal¬ 
veston Bay. When all were dressed 
his father took the children out upon 
deck where they looked for the first 
time upon Galveston. A gleaming, 
white city it was in the still morning 
brilliancy, gilded here and there by the 
golden sun, and a hush fell upon them 
all, while Paul turned with eager face, 
and said, “Father, it is almost like 
heaven, isn’t it ?’ 5 


VIII 


IN TEXAS 

A FTER some months of investiga¬ 
tion and some wandering, the 

Shelton family finally settled in C-, 

Texas. The broad, rich prairie land of 
which they had heard was indeed there, 
but hardship and struggle were also a 
part of the new country’s heritage. 
The family continued to grow, two 
more little girls, Ophelia and Allie, 
swelling the number to seven, and the 
history of that devoted mother during 
those years would require a tender 
hand. 

Captain Pluck, whom we have fol¬ 
lowed in particular, still found things 
of interest on the right hand and on 

64 



IN TEXAS 65 

the left. But the vast sweeping plains 
that stretched out and on till they lay 
in soft, blue rolls against the horizon 
made plaintive pressure upon his boy¬ 
ish spirit; the things he had known and 
loved were so far away, and undemon¬ 
strative laddie that he was concerning 
his inner feelings, it pressed in upon 
him at times in a way that was tragic 
with hopeless homesickness. Of this 
no one dreamed. Then, too, he had 
thought with triumph in leaving Mis¬ 
sissippi, that he should leave behind 
Aunt Sofy’s ghosts, but lo, he found 
them sometimes camped on the great 
lonely prairie! 

Of course he found mates and one 
best chum, and good times for him grew 
apace. There was all the vast outdoors 
for enjoyment, and sports new and ad¬ 
venturous. Delicate combination of 


66 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

tenderness and aggressive boyhood, he 
found some of the sport full hard at 
first. Hitherto he had known animals 
only to love them, but now birds were 
to be killed, squirrels and rabbits to 
be shot or trapped, and the sportsman 
waged war with the young nature lover. 
Going through a strip of woods one 
day a blue bird tilted and sang on the 
bough of a tree. Paul was carrying a 
stone, and the sportsman’s blood being 
warm within him, he drew back his 
arm. The stone flew true and cruel. 
The bird fell at his feet, not with life 
mercifully ended, but limp and pant¬ 
ing, mortally wounded in its pretty 
breast. 

The boy’s tender heart was wrung 
with anguish and gathering up the little 
bird he prayed desperately that it might 
live. He carried it home and all day 


IN TEXAS 67 

long he nursed it, giving it water and 
delicate bits of food. Toward evening 
he thought it seemed a bit better; 
eagerly he carried it back to the wood 
and placed it on a limb. It clung 
feebly with its little claws and he 
started away hoping to see it fly. But 
turning back as long as he could see it, 
it was still there, and in the morning 
when he came once more, it lay upon the 
ground, dead. He was alone in the 
wood and he lay down beside the little 
bird and sobbed out his remorse. He 
told no one, but for days and nights it 
haunted him. In the end, however, 
the sportsman conquered, for such is 
the cruel history of life. 

It was about this time that he came 
home one day with swollen throat and 
bounding pulse, which proved fore¬ 
runners of measles, and when a week 


68 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

later his disagreeable symptoms had 
subsided, he felt like a conquering gen¬ 
eral as he saw the other children drop 
into bed one by one, and felt that he 
had done it! O the contradictions of 
human nature as exemplified in un¬ 
studied boyhood! 


IX 


HUNTING PRAIRIE CHICKENS 

O NE of Paul’s first determinations 
after his arrival in Texas was to 
learn to shoot. As guns did not always 
come at a boy’s bidding it was for 
awhile an unsolved problem how he 
was to learn. But neither are boys 
easily discouraged, and soon one of his 
chums produced an old Enfield rifle. It 
was hailed with great enthusiasm, and 
continued in active service with a 
double capacity, sending forth its ef¬ 
fective fire from the barrel end, and 
viciously kicking the small gunner’s 
shoulder in the rear at the same time. 
How bruised and sore those young 
shoulders were, but the gunners 

6a 


70 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

changed from one to the other and en¬ 
dured heroically. Then Paul discov¬ 
ered and triumphantly brought out an 
old rifle of his grandfather’s. It lacked 
a hammer, but what mattered that? 
All one had to do was provide a piece 
of iron and smash down on the ex¬ 
plosive cap, sending out the load. 
Paul rigged it up and made the first 
shot. Resting the gun on a fence rail, 
he carefully sighted his target and 
banged down with his piece of iron on 
the cap, when lo, it proved also effec¬ 
tive both in the front and rear. It 
sent forth a stream of burning powder 
upon the boy’s left eye, which fortu¬ 
nately was closed as he aimed with the 
right. It was three months before the 
eye was again in good condition. This 
put a stop to the use of old rifles, as 
far as Paul was concerned, and his 


HUNTING PRAIRIE CHICKENS 71 
father bought him a small rifle which 
he soon learned to handle with good 
skill. 

Mr. Seaman’s family had located a 

few miles out from the town of C-, 

where he had a big farm and preached 
to several country churches. It was 
one of Paul’s greatest pleasures to be 
allowed to go out there for a visit. 
Lonnie and Johnnie were the best of 
mates for him and sport was abundant. 

Paul on one occasion went out there 
to pick cotton. Help was short and the 
boys, Paul and Lonnie, eagerly at¬ 
tempted to make full hands. They 
shouldered their baskets and started 
down the big road to the field. As Paul 
swung along his eye was caught by 
something shining in the road-side dust. 
He stooped and there was a silver 
twenty-five cent piece; he pushed the 



72 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

dust aside and a fifty cent piece was 
uncovered, and finally a ten cent piece! 
No finder of Captain Kidd’s treasure 
was ever more elated. Inquiry failed 
to reveal the owner, and with the jing¬ 
ling silver in his trousers’ pocket Paul 
worked all day like a Turk. 

When his pile of cotton was weighed 
at nightfall to determine the amount of 
his pay it tipped the scales at ninety- 
five pounds. 

“Ninety-five pounds,” exclaimed 
Uncle Ed, “that’s almost a man’s 
work.” And as he counted out the sum 
due into a dirty round palm, which al¬ 
ready held the amount found in the 
morning, Uncle Ed chuckled and re¬ 
marked dryly: 

“Just as I said, you’re always Cap¬ 
tain Pluck and luck always goes with 
pluck.” 


HUNTING PRAIRIE CHICKENS 73 

The boys slept in the little lean-to 
of the farmhouse, and out from their 
window stretched to the left the great 
prairie, which was as yet uncultivated. 
It was covered with high grass and 
rustled softly with the constant prairie 
breeze, making low, sweet melody for 
sleeping. One autumn morning Paul 
wakened early, just as the dawn was 
breaking, and his ear, which seemed 
suddenly alert, caught a low, monoto¬ 
nous sound like the far-away beating of 
drums. He was startled at first and 
then with a glad, soft cry began to 
pommel Lonnie. 

“Lonnie, Lonnie, wake up, isn’t that 
prairie chickens?” 

Lonnie’s eyes flew open too, and he 
sat up in bed, ears intent. 

“Yes, sir-ee, that’s prairie chickens, 
sure as you live,” he said. 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


74 

Paul was all excitement, for Lonnie 
had told again and again about his 
wonderful experiences hunting prairie 
chickens, and life would never be at 
high water mark for Paul till he, too, 
had had a prairie chicken hunt. He 
had really slept with ears open all 
during this visit, listening for that 
drumming of the birds in the early 
morning. 

“Get into your duds,” said Lonnie, 
springing up, for once captain of an 
expedition by right of his previous 
experience. 

Paul did not need urging, and both 
boys in a few minutes were dressed 
and ready for the start. They had not 
waked Johnnie, for they considered 
him too young. As he did not hold a 
like opinion they had been very quiet 


HUNTING PRAIRIE CHICKENS 75 
in their movements and slipped out, 
guns in hand, without waking him. 

Of course these doughty sportsmen 
always slept with their guns at hand 
for there was no knowing when game 
of some sort might appear and, as we 
have seen, they were on the alert even 
in sleep. 

On they went through the yard and 
out upon the prairie, the distant sounds 
growing more distinct all the time, like 
the low beating of many muffled 
drums. 

“There must be thousands and 
thousands of them,” whispered Lonnie, 
excitedly. 

“Well, I should say so,” whispered 
Paul back. 

“Wrap up your gun,” said Lonnie, 
“this grass is awful wet,” and both 
boys doubled the skirts of their rough 


76 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

jackets over the locks of their guns to 
keep them dry. Then they dropped 
down in the tall grass and crept along 
half squatting, half crawling, without 
a word, for the birds must not be 
frightened off! The drumming grew 
more distinct with every step and after 
they had crept along for at least a mile, 
as Paul thought, Lonnie whispered 
“Wait,” and the grass seemed to be 
fairly alive with them! But the clever 
birds hid themselves so successfully 
that the boys could not so much as get 
a glimpse of one. 

How their hearts beat as they waited! 
It was almost maddening to be within 
arm’s reach of the game and yet unable 
to get a shot. If they fired at random 
they would probably miss and the whole 
covey take flight before they could aim 


HUNTING PRAIRIE CHICKENS 77 

again, for these two realized that they 
were not yet experts. 

“O, Lonnie,” at last breathed Paul, 
in tragic whisper. “There’s a big hen 
squatting over there!” 

Lonnie not ready to admit that Paul 
had spotted one first, whispered back: 

“Pshaw! that’s nothing but grass!” 
But as they waited and waited in an 
ecstasy of fear lest something should 
frighten the flock away, Lonnie finally 
agreed that Paul should shoot his hen, 
while Lonnie aimed his gun ready to 
fire the next jiffy, for the shot would 
start them instantly in the air. 

Paul took steady aim at his hen, fired, 
and there was a whirr of wings like 
thunder on every side, while it seemed 
to the boys that the air was black with 
the multitude of birds. 

“Bang! Bang!” went Lonnie’s gun, 


78 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

and “Bang!” went Paul’s second barrel. 

Of course before the boys could re¬ 
load their guns the frightened birds 
had winged their way far into the dis¬ 
tance, and the two could only stand and 
gaze regretfully after them, sailing 
away like ever-changing, soft, gray 
clouds. 

But perhaps they had shot some¬ 
thing! This thought brought them to 
earth and they excitedly searched about 
in the long grass for possible trophies. 

Suddenly Lonnie laughed out in 
high derision. “Come see your prairie 
hen!” And Paul went up to find an 
old, rusty tin pan which had been left 
on the prairie and was battered into a 
shape something like a chicken. Paul 
was not the first nor the last hunter to 
be deceived in a similar way. 

But just beyond the counterfeit hen 


HUNTING PRAIRIE CHICKENS 79 

lay two fine, plump prairie chickens, 
which Paul’s second barrel had un¬ 
doubtedly brought down, and he was in 
high feather. While search as he would 
in the direction of his shots, Lonnie 
could only find one small bird. 

“You’re always old ‘Cap’n Luck’,” 
said Lonnie grudgingly. This was a 
perversion of Uncle Ed’s name which 
the boys gave Paul as occasion seemed 
to make it fitting. 

As the two eager sportsmen came 
marching into the yard with their game, 
the household was fully astir, and all 
were warm in praise of their success, 
while the boys could hardly wait till 
dinner time for their chickens to be 
served. 


X 


BEN 

P AUL’S best chum was Ben Merrit. 

It goes without saying that they 
were contrasts in temperament: Paul 
a lover of books and born investigator, 
Ben a jolly boy, usually bent on a good 
time. The two found themselves merry 
over trifles and enjoyed it. When Paul 
went to Ben’s house to dinner or to 
spend the night, and when Ben went 
to Paul’s, they sat down with much 
decorum at the table while the young 
visitor, whichever one it happened to 
be, replied demurely to queries as to 
whether he would have some of this or 
that, and the boy who was at home was 
simply overcome with the company 

80 


BEN 


8l 

manners of the other. One glance ex¬ 
changed between them was enough to 
set them off in irrepressible merriment, 
which was hard on the final preserva¬ 
tion of company manners. 

Dr. Merrit, Ben’s father, had a cer¬ 
tain droll humor and liked to add some 
teasing to his small guest’s embarrass¬ 
ment when Paul was there. 

“Will you have some fried chicken, 
Paul,” he asked on one occasion, and 
that being one of Paul’s special favor¬ 
ites, he replied promptly, if not with 
vigor: 

“Yes, sir, thank you,” at the same 
time lifting his plate to pass it on. 

“Well, Pm sorry,” said Dr. Merrit 
gravely, “but we haven’t any to-day.” 

Ben almost collapsed with laughter 
and Paul joined him in spite of furious 
blushes. 


82 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

The two boys went to school to¬ 
gether, Mr. Shelton having opened a 
good village school, and there were ex¬ 
peditions of all sorts which they shared 
in play hours. 

Such wonderful balloons of wire and 
tissue paper they made, and sent up by 
means of a lighted alcohol sponge, 
which sailed the sky majestically; such 
marvelous kites, from paper and bits 
of wood! And when one actually flew 
far away into the sky, tugging at its 
string in a firm brown hand like a liv¬ 
ing thing, life was ecstasy. Then Paul 
would dread having to grow up and 
be a man! As he looked about he saw 
nothing in the life of a man to compare 
with kite flying, balloon sailing, hunt¬ 
ing, fishing, trapping! 

The boys worked for days over bird 
traps and dead falls. There was one 


BEN 83 

trap which they made with small pieces 
of wood. Laying four strips down, 
crossed at the ends forming a square, 
they tied the corners firmly together. 
Just within these they laid four others 
weaving them into one another at the 
corners, and continuing round and 
round they built it up growing smaller 
all the time till the apex was one short 
piece laid on top, and the whole was 
held together by a stout, pliable switch 
passed over it and tied firmly at the 
sides. The trap was raised at one side 
and rested upon an upright piece with 
a trigger, whose treacherous end lay 
beneath the trap with crumbs or corn 
scattered about it, so when the unsus¬ 
pecting bird hopped about picking up 
food and the trigger was disturbed ever 
so little, down the trap would come cag¬ 
ing the game. 


8 4 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

The night they first set it up was an 
exciting one. They could hardly wait 
for morning to come. Before breakfast 
both were out there and oh, joy, a 
plump partridge was housed within! 

When they reached Paul’s house the 
two boys after much labor succeeded 
in dressing their game, and then before 
the open fire they suspended it by a 
wire attached above and roasted it, 
turning and basting faithfully, with 
many consultations as to best methods 
and frequent reference to Mrs. Shelton 
while the children were most interested 
spectators. At last it was juicy and 
brown, and no king ever found greater 
satisfaction in a royal dinner, than those 
two boys in theirs that day, while every 
child had at least a taste. 

For some time afterward they set 
the trap regularly, going every morning 


BEN 85 

the first thing to see if they had caught 
anything,—perhaps finding a bird, but 
oftener not. Finally the novelty was 
gone, and after setting it one night 
they went off home and both forgot all 
about it. Neither went to look after it 
for several days, and then Paul hap¬ 
pening to be in the woods remembered 
the trap. All was still when he came to 
it, but it had been sprung and lifting 
it carefully he saw two pretty, brown 
partridges lying dead beneath it. O, 
how his heart smote him! They had 
starved to death: Trapped without 
food they had suffered and suffered till 
death came! He threw the trap away, 
and Ben could not persuade him to trap 
any more birds. 

One Friday afternoon the two boys 
went off jubilant with an uncle of Ben’s 
to spend Saturday and Sunday, return- 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


86 

ing in time for school Monday morn¬ 
ing. It was a red letter event of their 
lives. The weather was beautiful, 
crisp October weather, and when the 
two were mounted on shaggy mustang 
ponies Saturday morning bright and 
early, while two eager hunting dogs, 
slender greyhounds, Sport and Fleet, 
waited their word of command, the 
flood tide of exhilaration was in. 

Mr. Middleton chuckled with hearty 
appreciation of the boys’ enjoyment as 
he saw them start off after final instruc¬ 
tions as to how to manage the hunt, 
and when they came at night-fall with 
a string of rabbits, and, oh, so de¬ 
liciously tired, he praised them gener¬ 
ously. 

Next morning small legs were un- 
wontedly sore and stiff, but jubilant 
spirits were still at high tide. 


BEN 


87 

“Now boys , 55 said Mr. Middleton, 
“this is the Sabbath you know, but we 
haven’t any churches out this way, for 
which I am sorry. So, after prayers this 
morning, you can take the mustangs for 
a ride, but no hunting to-day, you un¬ 
derstand . 55 

The boys, of course, readily assented, 
for they wouldn’t hunt on Sunday, and 
mounted their ponies with no vain de¬ 
sires. The dogs, however, were sorely 
disappointed when bidden to remain 
at home. Down the road Paul and Ben 
cantered, rehearsing events of the day 
before with great enjoyment. They 
had been gone about half an hour per¬ 
haps, when there was a sudden bark 
and swift rush from the road behind 
them, and Sport and Fleet leaped into 
the prairie grass at their side! Almost 
instantly the long ears of a jack-rabbit 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


88 

came up from the grass off on the 
prairie. The boys were too much 
astonished to halt the dogs at first, and 
the hunt with all its exciting interest 
was on before they knew it. The mus¬ 
tangs were ploughing the grass and 
they were eagerly watching the race 
between dogs and rabbit. Sport was a 
mongrel, not quite first class, larger 
than the true greyhound and with a 
tawny brown coat, while Fleet was a 
full-blooded greyhound, true to the 
death, swift, unerring. He was his 
owner’s pride. 

Sport had spotted the rabbit first and 
made the first dash, so he took the lead. 
The rabbit scenting trouble, but not yet 
sure from whence it came, made a long 
lope, then paused to listen, his big, long 
ears showing plainly above the grass. 
Another lope and pause to listen, and 


BEN 89 

another, then with growing alarm, 
longer, swifter leaps and fewer pauses 
to reconnoiter, till at last with full 
realization of danger he laid his long 
ears back on his shoulders and fell into 
long, flying leaps that carried him far 
ahead of Sport. On, on he went, the 
distance constantly increasing between 
him and the dog, while Fleet bringing 
up the rear steadily gained on the two. 
Soon the three mounted a ridge and 
sped along its rim, making a perfect 
moving picture for the boys. 

The rabbit was winning, yes, as far 
as Sport was concerned, but Fleet! O, 
Fleet was passing Sport, and gaining 
on the rabbit every second! The boys 
were flying along at the base of the 
ridge upon their ponies and nearing 
every instant the scene of the finale. 
There, Fleet almost has him! But no, 


90 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

the rabbit knows well his tactics, he 
turns suddenly down the ridge and 
Fleet bounds over him! Then instantly 
recovering himself he, too, turns down 
the ridge easily overtaking his victim, 
but again and again the rabbit eludes 
him leaving the dog to bound over as 
he turns aside. 

Paul dashes up on his pony just in 
time to see this final thrilling by-play. 

A rush from the dog and he is upon 
the rabbit! A quick turn, a long leap, 
and the rabbit is safe, while the dog 
bounds past, sometimes turning a head¬ 
long somersault. 

Another rush, another quick turn and 
long leap! Another and another and 
another. 

But each time the leaps are feebler, 
the dog has superior strength, and there 
is only one end of it all for the little 


BEN 91 

prairie king. Fleet has him at last 
just as Ben and Sport dash up. The 
well trained dogs wait the word of com¬ 
mand, and one look at the helpless, 
quivering, frightened thing made Paul 
cry out as he flung himself from the 
mustang. 

“Wait Fleet! Wait Sport / 5 he com¬ 
manded, stooping and taking the trem¬ 
bler in his arms while the dogs fell back. 

Ben had also dismounted and he, too, 
knelt and patted the poor rabbit’s back. 

“It’s Sunday,” said Paul softly, “let’s 
turn him loose.” 

“Yes, let’s,” returned Ben. 

So they put the little fellow down 
unhurt, and while they held the aston¬ 
ished dogs in stern command, started 
him off with uncertain, timid lopes, 
which grew in strength and confidence 
till he disappeared over the ridge. 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


92 

The little cavalcade started off again, 
and with consciences quite at rest be¬ 
cause they had let the rabbit go, the 
boys gave themselves up to enjoyment 
of a review of the fine race which they 
had witnessed. They failed to give 
instructions to the dogs, however, and 
soon another race was on, exciting as 
the other, to which they bent with eager 
eyes and swift ponies. This time just 
as Fleet was upon the rabbit, the little 
prairie king disappeared through a 
barbed wire fence and Fleet plunged 
after. But oh, the fence through which 
the rabbit slipped with ease, held Fleet 
in a cruel grip! When the boys had 
reached him, and after much difficulty 
extricated his right shoulder, they found 
a muscle torn out completely. 

The poor dog yelped piteously, and 
two thoroughly frightened boys lifted 


BEN 93 

him upon Paul’s mustang in front of the 
saddle, then with great care and anxiety 
Paul carried him home. 

Not a word was said as they rode 
along, the beauty of the Sabbath morn¬ 
ing was gone, and even the joy of yes¬ 
terday’s hunt, to say nothing of those 
of to-day, passed into nothingness. 

When they reached the house Mr. 
Middleton, who had been watching, 
came up and took his beloved dog from 
them with firmly set lips, and it required 
all Paul’s stamina to make what he 
knew must seem a lame explanation. 

Hoping to help matters some, Ben 
put in: 

“But, uncle, we truly didn’t know 
the dogs had followed us till they 
rushed off after the rabbit.” 

“The first rabbit,” said Mr. Middle- 
ton, laconically. 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


94 

“But we might have stopped them 
any time,” said Paul, so sorrowfully 
that Mr. Middleton, knowing the acci¬ 
dent might also have happened at any 
time, said: 

“Well, boys, it was a great tempta¬ 
tion to you and the dogs. I should have 
shut them up so they could not follow. 
This poor fellow will never run another 
race and you will not forget your lesson 
as long as he lives.” 

And rest assured they did not. Paul, 
or Ben either, would have gone blocks 
out of the way rather than meet the 
beautiful, limping greyhound when Mr. 
Middleton brought him to town, as he 
frequently did, for the man’s devotion 
to the wounded dog was unbounded; 
and whenever the fine fellow leapt up 
brokenly in eager recognition of them, it 
was almost more than they could bear. 


XI 


WILD GOOSE HUNTING 

M R. SEAMAN had become restless 
under some conditions against 
which he had to struggle and moved 
with his family some hundred miles 

away to the town of B-. In about 

six months, pleased with Mr. Seaman’s 
report of the new location, Mr. Shelton 
and family followed. 

This time the children were not so 
eager to go, they each had their play¬ 
mates and it was hard to leave them. 
An artist who wished to portray pathos 
in controlled simplicity should have 
seen the leave-taking between Paul and 
Ben; and in the new home Paul missed 
his mate at times with almost tragic 

95 





g6 captain pluck 

longing,—all the more intense because 
he could not speak of it even to his 
mother. He did not visit the tea cake 
jar with relish, as he once did, and the 
ghosts seemed more persistent than ever 
in the new locality! 

But there is sure rebound in the 
normal boy and new interests speedily 
claimed Paul’s attention. 

Once when on a visit to Uncle Ed’s, 
who was again located in the country, 
a trip had to be made some miles away. 
Mr. Seaman was going with the ox 
team and proposed to take the two 
boys, Paul and Lonnie, with him. Both 
were wild with delight over the pros¬ 
pect. When they started off, guns and 
ammunition were, of course, a part of 
the equipment, for there was no know¬ 
ing but what a buffalo, or a deer, a rab¬ 
bit, or a partridge anyhow, might cross 


WILD GOOSE HUNTING 97 

their path any time according to Lonnie; 
and there proved to be some game with¬ 
in reach, which added much to the zest 
of the trip, but by far the best thing 
that came their way was the wild goose 
hunt. 

It was in a bit of low, marshy coun¬ 
try, with frequent small ponds, through 
which they were going when Mr. Sea¬ 
man suddenly said: 

“Hush, boys !' 5 and raised his hands 
for silence. A peculiar cry, a sort of 
ringing, nasal quack was repeated and 
he exclaimed, “Wild geese as sure as 
you live,” and instantly called “Whoa,” 
to the team. 

“Boys, what do you say to a wild 
goose hunt?” he asked as seriously as 
if very uncertain of their agreement. 

“Fine, fine,” exclaimed both at once 
with great enthusiasm. Then, “How 


98 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

do you do it?” “Where are the geese?” 
and like excited questions followed 
thick and fast. 

“Well,” said Uncle Ed, going to a 
little clump of trees; “the first thing is 
to make your goose-blind.” And with 
the two boys at his heels asking ques¬ 
tions, he cut down a small tree, took a 
section and split it open. Then he 
trimmed the ends nice and smooth for 
runners, and tied the two together with 
stout branches for cross pieces, forming 
a pretty good sled. Then he piled on 
some leafy branches and the “goose- 
blind” was ready. 

A hole had been left in the middle 
of the brush and Mr. Seaman said, 
“Cap’n Pluck, you’re the oldest and a 
pretty good shot, I guess we’ll send you 
out first.” Lonnie looked a bit crest¬ 
fallen, but said nothing. 


WILD GOOSE HUNTING 99 

“But what am I to do?” exclaimed 
Paul, bewildered, for Uncle Ed did not 
always explain; things simply moved 
along when he was in charge. In an¬ 
other minute Paul found himself on 
the sled, seated in the opening in the 
middle of the brush, gun in hand. 
Uncle Ed carefully pulled up the brush 
about him, fastened the oxen to the 
sled and then walking beside, drove 
them off from the road a good distance. 

“Now, Cap’n, this thing won’t scare 
the geese a bit, keep well down in the 
brush and they will let you come right 
by them. Let the oxen graze along and 
when you get a good chance at a goose, 
shoot.” 

Mr. Seaman walked back to the 
wagon and he and Lonnie sat down in 
the shade and waited. Paul was in a 


100 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


quiver of excitement, but kept his gun 
steady, ready to fire any instant. 

The oxen, delighted with the change 
in things for them, browsed along con¬ 
tentedly, and Paul thought they never 
would get where there were any geese. 
It was hours and hours, he knew, that 
he sat and watched, but Uncle Ed said 
afterward, it was three fourths of one, 
and then that peculiar “quack, quack,” 
from the bushes close to a shallow 
pond toward which the oxen were 
slowly grazing. Paul’s excitement had 
subsided with the long wait, but he was 
instantly a’quiver again, and so in¬ 
tently gazing in the direction from 
whence he had heard them, that he did 
not notice the oxen were quietly mak¬ 
ing their way into the pond. On they 
went into the cool water, and at that 
instant there was a loud “Quack, 


WILD GOOSE HUNTING 101 
quack,” again and several geese, stretch¬ 
ing out their long necks, came running 
to the water’s edge. 

“Bump,” went the tree-sled as it slid 
down a short incline into the shallow 
pond, boy, gun and all, but “Bang!” 
went the gun at the same instant, and 
when Uncle Ed came running up al¬ 
most out of breath, he found Paul 
scrambling out of the brush and water 
with his gun and crying: 

“I got one, I got one! See here, 
Uncle Ed,” and sure enough he had 
brought down a big, gray goose just at 
the edge of the water. 

Uncle Ed laughed when he got his 
breath and said: 

“Well, Cap’n Pluck, you did. But 
what in the world did you let the oxen 
carry you into the pond for 4 ? Why 


102 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


didn’t you halt them before they got 

• 9 ” 

in $ 

Paul looked around blankly, for the 
first time taking in the situation. 

“I don’t believe you even knew you 
were wet,” laughed his uncle. 

“I didn’t,” said the boy. “I never 
knew they went in the pond.” And he 
looked ruefully down at his wet clothes. 

“Well, this sun will soon dry them,” 
said Uncle Ed, “and when we get home 
we’ll have baked goose for sure.” 


XII 


A PRINTER’S DEVIL 

P AUL spent his first year in the new 
town mainly in school work with 
plenty of play sandwiched in. Mr. 
Shelton had again taken up teaching 
and had a prosperous school while he 
organized a church of his faith and 
carried it forward with good success. 

Paul studied with avidity and easily 
shot to the head of his class. He was 
slender and looked rather frail, so his 
father laughed and said to his mother: 

“I can’t keep that boy’s mind within 
proper, wholesome limits. I believe I 
will take him out of school for a year, 
and get him a place as messenger boy 
somewhere, which, while keeping him 

103 


104 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

busy and out of mischief, will at the 
same time give him exercise in the open 
air. I must confess, too, it will help me 
out financially. Flora and Blanche 
ought to go to college and I must man¬ 
age to send them, somehow.” 

After careful consideration this 
course was decided upon, and when 
presented to eleven-year-old Paul, was 
eagerly agreed to. 

That very day there was a knock at 
The Bugle’s office door and the big 
voiced, “Come in” brought to view so 
young a boy that one keen look from 
beneath the editor’s shaggy brows might 
have vanquished the caller had not his 
spirit been much bigger than his body. 

As it was he held his head erect and 
inquired with business-like directness if 
he might get some work to do there. 

“Well, Bub, we ain’t needing much 


a printer's devil 105 
help just about now unless it is a devil 
-—do you think you’d make a first class 
devil?” 

The men of the printing office 
laughed heartily for they saw the boy 
knew nothing of the province of a 
“printer’s devil.” 

“No, sir,” he replied stoutly, “I 
wouldn’t be a devil for anybody. But 
there’s lots of things I can do. I can 
run errands, sweep and,—scrub,” he 
concluded stoutly. 

There was another roar from the men, 
which bewildered the boy, but he stood 
his ground firmly. 

The editor was a big-hearted, big¬ 
bodied, typical Texan pioneer and he 
said kindly at last: 

“Well, Bub, we have to wait on our¬ 
selves here generally, but we’re power¬ 
ful busy just now getting ready for that 


106 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

Democratic State Convention first of 
July, printing posters and hurrahing 
’em up, and if you don’t expect the 
salary of a Jay Gould and know how 
to make yourself useful, you can pitch 
in for three weeks. Be here in the 
morning at seven sharp.” 

That evening at supper Paul an¬ 
nounced that he had found a place, to 
the astonishment of his father and 
mother. 

“What to do 4 ?” demanded his father. 

“To be messenger boy, I reckon,” he 
added hesitatingly, 4 at The Bugle of¬ 
fice.” And before .his father could re¬ 
ply, he asked: 

“Father, what’s a devil at a printing 
office 4 ? Not anything bad is it 4 ?” 

His father smiled and explained that 
a printer’s devil was the boy who did 
general work and ran errands. 


a printer’s devil 107 
“That’s what they meant then when 
they all laughed at me. Well, I don’t 
like the name, but I’m going to be a 
good devil, anyway.” 

Mr. Shelton went to The Bugle of¬ 
fice with him next day and arranged 
matters definitely for him, while Paul 
began work at once. It was understood 
that the engagement was for only three 
weeks till the convention was over, 
which Mr. Shelton liked as it would 
give opportunity for a test of the plan. 

Each morning found Paul on time at 
The Bugle office, and though the young 
arms and legs often grew tired at their 
tasks, he did not falter and the men gen¬ 
erally were kindly. He did seem small 
and slight for some of the office work, 
but there was a certain sturdiness about 
him physically, after all, and being 
quick to learn he soon inked the rollers 


108 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

well, cleaned them and the forms care¬ 
fully, while for errands and delivery of 
papers he proved an expert. 

Usually the paper was delivered 
through the mail but in view of the 
coming convention the business men, 
lawyers, shops and railroad offices must 
get the paper Friday afternoon instead 
of Saturday morning, thereby antedat¬ 
ing The Clarion. The Clarion was a 
rival paper and with The Bugle was 
struggling hard for a foothold in the 
town, which could really support only 
one weekly paper. 

Paul had not been on The Bugle 
staff two days before he was heart and 
soul for its interests. He worked with 
the spirit he had hitherto played, al¬ 
ways to win. So loyal was he that the 
men soon dubbed him “Little Bugle.” 
The old “printer’s devil” had never 


a printer’s devil 109 
seemed to quite fit Paul, and “Little 
Bugle” took the place of Captain Pluck 
for a time. 

When he started out for his first de¬ 
livery Friday afternoon, Mr. Strong 
said, good-naturedly: 

“You may have all you can make 
selling extras, to folks not regular sub¬ 
scribers, I mean, at ten cents each.” 

The Bugle came high by single 
copies, but it was a time when every¬ 
thing was high, and the south and 
southwest for many years after the war 
had only two small coins in circulation, 
the nickel and the dime. 

Paul always carried in his pocket a 
musical whistle, to fill otherwise dull 
moments, which had no part in his con¬ 
ception of life, and with a bulging 
bundle of papers went everywhere 
whistling shrilly and calling out, 


110 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

“Here’s your Bugle, best paper in the 
state,” and somehow the small enthu¬ 
siastic face won everywhere; besides it 
was a new thing for the town to have 
papers sold on the street, and novelties 
are taking. 

At the closing hour in the office that 
evening the old-fashioned press with its 
clumsy moving platform and hand 
lever, was at last at rest; the monotonous 
rattle of the job presses had ceased, and 
the men were getting coats and hats 
preparing to leave when Mr. Strong 
came into the composing room, saying 
impatiently: 

“Where’s that little rascal? I expect 
he’s forgotten all about his papers and 
gone off playing ball somewhere. Has 
anybody seen him lately?” 

“He’s been in an’ out o’ here all the 
evenin’,” said the foreman, “toatin’ off 


a printer’s DEVIL 111 

all the papers he could lug ev’ry time.” 

“Is that so?” said Mr. Strong. 
“Well, I guess I’ll wait for him awhile 
then,” and went back to his desk. 

It was not many minutes before 
young, swift feet were heard springing 
up the stairs, and then Paul stood be¬ 
fore Mr. Strong, his eyes rivaling the 
brilliancy of the copper tips on his well 
worn shoes, and every nerve and muscle 
tingling with the elixir of success. He 
was, in fact, the electrified embodiment 
of a bloated bond holder,—his small 
trousers’ pockets literally heavy with 
jingling dimes! 

Taking them out by the handful, he 
stacked them up on the desk before Mr. 
Strong, who gave a long whistle! 

“Everybody wants The Bugle,” ex¬ 
claimed Paul. 

And Mr. Strong said at last: “Well,, 


112 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

you’re great,” as he stuffed the dimes 
back into the small pockets. 

When Paul reached home flying on 
the wings of the wind, and the dimes 
were stacked up on mother’s sewing 
table with the regular weekly pay, 
three shining round dollars, Paul’s hi¬ 
larity was something astonishing. 

When the next delivery afternoon 
came round Mr. Strong remarked to 
Paul: 

“Look here, Little Bugle, you’re a 
hustler from Hustleville—that’s all 
right, but I guess we’ll have to divide 
profits on these extra sales,” to which 
Paul readily agreed. 

The second Friday afternoon was a 
repetition of the first, and Paul’s heart 
beat high again as he divided proceeds 
with the editor with a goodly sum left 
for himself. He stopped on the way 


a printer’s devil 113 
home at an enticing confectionery be¬ 
neath the office and invested fifteen 
cents in some striped candy which had 
lured him all the week, and ten in a 
beautiful candy lady for mother. 

With both precious packages 
wrapped and in his hand, he was start¬ 
ing down the street for home when Mr. 
Strong stopped him: 

“Two Bugle issues a day for the con¬ 
vention next week, what do you think 
of that, my boy?” 

“That’s fine, Mr. Strong. O, we’ll 
beat The Clarion, that’s dead sure.” 

Mr. Strong laughed and went on. 
All the men in the office loved to stir 
Paul up about The Bugle. 

When he reached home the great 
prospects of The Bugle were his first 
thought. 

“O mother,” he called before he got 


114 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

to the house, “The Bugle will have two 
issues a day next week! Just think of 
it! Why The Clarion will be left so 
far behind it can never catch up. I 
just know they can t have two issues a 
day !’ 5 

His mother had to remind him that 
he knew very little of the possibilities 
of The Clarion. 

“O, but mother, you don’t know the 
work that it is to get out one issue a 
week, and there’s mighty few that can 
undertake to get out one a day , but 
The Bugle can get two out, Mr. Strong 
says so!” 

And mother saw that things were at 
too high a tide for argument, particu¬ 
larly after the dimes were stacked up, 
the week’s pay, the striped candy and 
the sugar lady were brought forth, 


a printer’s devil 115 
while all the children capered in joy 
about the feast. 

Next morning at the office every¬ 
thing was at high tension making ready 
for the following Monday, and it was 
not long before Paul learned that The 
Clarion would issue three editions a 
day! This was staggering news, and 
even he was sobered. It was felt on 
all sides that the paper which made 
the best showing during the convention 
would be the permanent winner. 

Mr. Strong was giving orders here 
and there before going off to an adjoin¬ 
ing town in search of more help to 
match The Clarion’s advance plan. At 
last he exclaimed impatiently: 

“I won’t have time now to look up 
men for selling papers next week, I 
meant to do that to-day, but having to 
go off for another printer, I simply can’t 


Il6 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

do it.” His eyes fell upon Paul as he 
said this. 

“Here boy,” he commanded, and 
Paul came with a bound. “Could you 
get a squad of a dozen boys, every one 
first class and warranted to stick, that 
could sell papers for me next week?” 

“Yes, sir,” said Paul confidently. He 
knew how well the boys had responded 
to his leadership in play and he felt 
that they would follow him still, though 
he did not consciously reason it out in 
this way. 

“Well, now remember,” and Mr. 
Strong glared at him almost savagely, 
“I depend on you to have those boys 
here this evening at six for inspection, 
—and to take oath,” he added, his 
grimness lighting up a little. “You 
can have this afternoon off to muster 
them in.” 


a printer’s devil 117 

Responsibilities were increasing and 
it was a much sobered boy that dropped 
in to see mother a minute, and make 
the humiliating confession that The 
Clarion would issue three editions a 
day next week! 

Then it was mother’s turn to ques¬ 
tion this dread possibility, and for once 
to lift drooping spirits. 

When the office closing hour came, 
Paul and his boys were on hand. Mr. 
Strong expressed satisfaction with the 
squad, and looked much relieved as he 
had also found a good recruit for the 
printing. 

Then the great day came, bringing 
crowds of people with drums beating 
and flags flying. The town had never 
known such excitement before. Con¬ 
vention sessions were held in the 
Methodist church about one half mile 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


ll8 

from The Bugle office. Paul and his 
squad of boys were constantly on the 
go between the two places, or shouting 
their papers among the crowd about the 
door. Mr. Strong did not have time to 
direct them, but he noted that Paul 
had them all under his eye, managing 
them with good generalship. The 
Clarion had a force of men, who were 
doing good work also selling papers, 
and with three issues a day for both, the 
race must be a close one between them. 

Not only was the newspaper race 
hot, but the political contest was also, 
two strong candidates in the field mak¬ 
ing the race wildly exciting, while the 
weather following suit was likewise 
scorching hot. 

On the second day of the Convention 
when all was intense excitement, doors, 
windows and every available outlet 


a printer’s devil 119 
‘packed and jammed,” men opened 
their collars and shirts at the neck, 
threw off coats and panted in the heat. 
An idea struck Paul! He rushed off 
after another bundle of papers, and 
came back with all he could carry under 
one arm and a huge bundle of big pal¬ 
metto fans under the other! When he 
entered the church there were cries at 
once of “Here, here,” “This way,” and 
not one purchased a fan (for ten cents) 
without hearing, “Bugle, Bugle, best 
paper in the state!” 

Paul soon had his entire squad armed 
with fans as well as papers, and when an 
hour or two later the perspiring chair¬ 
man beckoned him to the platform to 
make a purchase somebody called out: 

“Bugle, Bugle, best paper in the 
state! Three cheers for Little Bugle 
and his fans!” The crowd was demon- 


120 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


strative, in the best of humor that mo¬ 
ment, and was instantly in an uproar, 
while nobody cheered more wildly than 
Mr. Strong at his desk, forgetting it 
was not the part of modesty. After that 
The Clarion seemed to drop out of 
sight, everybody wanted The Bugle. 

That evening The Clarion’s owner 
met Paul on his way home, ostensibly 
by accident, and after some very 
friendly remarks, inquired what The 
Bugle paid him a week. 

Paul hesitated a minute then said 
decidedly, “That is something I don’t 
want to tell.” 

“Well,” said the man a little nettled, 
“whatever they pay you I will double 
it. We know how to appreciate good 
work at The Clarion.” 

“No, sir,” said Paul, “I love The 
Bugle and I am going to stay with it.” 


A printer’s DEVIL 121 

Indeed he could not have been 
bought at any price, and the pile of 
dimes on his mother’s table from the 
sale of papers and fans when the con¬ 
vention was over, eclipsing all pre¬ 
vious piles, certainly indicated an af¬ 
fluence calculated to foster independ¬ 
ence. 

But Paul did not forget that Mr. 
Strong had positively said he could 
only have the place three weeks. So 
when Saturday night came, he stood be¬ 
fore the editor and said a little falter- 
ingly: 

“You will not want me after to¬ 
night, I suppose, Mr. Strong. That 
was what you said when I came.” 

“Not want you,” thundered Mr. 
Strong. “Not want you! Well, I guess 
we will! As long as The Bugle runs we 
will want you here.” 


122 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

So Paul became a fixture in The 
Bugle office for the time being, and so 
alert was he in mind, so interested in 
every new thing, that he was soon set¬ 
ting type along with the regular printers 
much of the time, and then he fell sick. 
After a week or two of fever Mr. Shel¬ 
ton laughed: 

‘Til have to change that boy again, 
he will keep learning things. I didn’t 
put him in that office to become a 
printer, it’s too confining. I shall have 
to take him away.” 

So that ended Paul’s work as Printer. 


XIII 


A NORTHER AND A PRAIRIE 

FIRE 

T HE boys made another trip with 
Mr. Seaman that autumn which 
widened their experience of life on the 
prairies of the southwest. They went 
some fifty miles away and took four 
days for the trip, camping out a night 
each way. Aunt Ophelia, Mr. Seaman’s 
wife, was afraid for them to go, as it 
had been very dry and she feared a 
prairie fire, but he looked out at some 
gathering clouds and said that the pros¬ 
pect was they would get caught in a 
rain storm instead. So the interesting 
preparations went on. Blankets had 
to be provided, for there was no telling 

123 


124 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

about Texas weather, and provisions to 
last for several days. There was al¬ 
ways sure to be something doing when 
you went with Uncle Ed, and the boys, 
Paul and Lonnie, started off in high 
spirits. 

The clouds which had been noticed 
before they started, scattered and 
drifted away, the wind died down and 
it was extremely sultry. Along toward 
dark Paul looked over to the northwest 
and asked: 

“Is that a wagon coming, Uncle Ed?” 

His uncle turned, looking intently, 
and as he looked the black thing which 
Paul had noticed grew rapidly. 

“A norther,” exclaimed Uncle Ed, 
“as sure as you live!” And the black 
monster swiftly spread, sending out 
dark couriers in every direction, fol¬ 
lowed by vast battalions of billowy 


A NORTHER AND A PRAIRIE FIRE I 25 

clouds, through which weird flashes of 
lightning played. 

“Get your overcoats and close the 
wagon curtains,” he cried, “I think rain 
is coming.” 

The boys worked fast, but were none 
too quick, for in an incredible space of 
time, almost, there came a few drops of 
rain, and then a mighty surging of the 
grass with a rushing as of the sound of 
many waters, while the horses shivered 
and the little party suffered intensely 
from the cold. Fortunately, as they 
thought, the rain did not continue, for 
with such a severe norther in progress 
the situation would have been danger¬ 
ous, as lives have been lost on the 
prairie in such experiences. 

It was a night of real hardship for 
them, however, for when they camped, 
that is unhitched and tethered their 


126 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

horses to the back of the wagon, they 
dared not make a fire, but eating their 
supper in darkness, wrapped them¬ 
selves in blankets and slept as best they 
could. Mr. Seaman had cheered the 
boys all he could with good-humored 
banter, but chattering teeth did not add 
zest to the effort. 

By the next morning the norther had 
moderated to a comfortable, brisk tem¬ 
perature and they started off in good 
spirits again. Mr. Seaman would have 
felt more content if the slow rain which 
he had expected had come. He real¬ 
ized, in going over the prairie, as he had 
not before how very dry the grass was, 
and felt in haste to have the trip over 
and be at home once more. It would 
not help matters to start back when 

they reached B- and his business 

was done, for it would give them two 



A NORTHER AND A PRAIRIE FIRE 127 

nights probably to camp out, so they 
remained overnight, and started early 
the following morning. As they 
journeyed on, making good speed as 
they could, a haziness grew into rather 
dense, even clouds, though no rain fell. 
About the middle of the afternoon Lon¬ 
nie looked over at the west and said: 

“Papa, I don’t believe its going to 
rain this time either, there is a bright 
streak over there like it was going to 
clear up.” 

His father looked and drew in his 
breath sharply. He knew what that 
brilliant strip meant: a prairie fire! The 
thing he had been dreading. 

“Boys,” he said quietly, “now I ex¬ 
pect you two to be pluckies sure enough, 
both of you, if I hadn’t thought you 
would be I wouldn’t have brought you 
along. That’s a prairie fire coming, 


128 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

but I think we are not far from the 
bayou region, and I am going for it 
with all speed.” 

He had already given the horses a 
tingling blow and sent them forward, 
he now pressed them to their utmost. 

The boys said never a word but did 
their best not to disappoint him. All 
looked back, now and then, as the great 
pyrotechnic spectacle was unfolded, 
grand, beautiful, awful in the extreme. 
The long, low rolls of flame widened 
and glowed, the heavens gave back an¬ 
swering flame and a dense pall of 
smoke completed the moving picture. 

After a two mile race the road began 
to slope down and they knew they 
were getting into the bayou region. 
On, on they went straight into the 
biggest one, then handing out matches, 
Mr. Seaman said to the boys: 


A NORTHER AND A PRAIRIE FIRE I 2 g 

“Set fire to the grass on every side 
fast as you can.” They looked in won¬ 
der for a minute, wasn’t fire what 
they were trying to get away from? 
But without a word they flew to do 
his bidding. Soon flames were rushing 
to meet the oncoming holocaust. 

The horses reared and snorted, but 
Mr. Seaman stood at their heads waist 
deep in the water and held them at 
last in trembling quiet. 

The boys came back, waded in and 
climbed into the back of the wagon 
while the tragedy went on. They were 
so enveloped in smoke for awhile that 
they could see nothing before them, 
and thought they must surely suffocate, 
but the air gradually grew clearer and 
all danger past before night settled 
upon them. 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


130 

They again ate in darkness, for there 
was nothing in their reach unburned 
from which to make a fire, and they 
were a sober little party which Mr. Sea¬ 
man did not try to cheer, for he was too 
worn out with exertion and anxiety. 
All slept soundly in spite of some fear 
that the house and barns might go in 
the fire which had swept on toward 
home, but every precaution had pre¬ 
viously been taken there, the grass 
mowed for a mile away from the house 
in the one direction which looked off 
toward the prairie. 

When they came within view of its 
chimneys and sloping roof it was a sight 
good to see, and as they drove up to 
the gate, Mrs. Seaman was equally re¬ 
joiced to see them. 

“Well,” said Uncle Ed, “we were all 


A NORTHER AND A PRAIRIE FIRE 131 

pretty good pluckies and luckies,—es¬ 
pecially the lucky part,—for which 
thank God,” he added as he kissed his 
wife. 


XIV 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 

A S the fine fall weather came on 
and the girls once more started 
for college, Paul, twelve years of age, 
found a place as messenger boy in the 
telegraph office at $25 a month. 

The same vim and interest went 
into the new business with him. They 
greatly regretted losing him at The 
Bugle office and made him a life sub¬ 
scriber, while he still felt paternal in¬ 
terest in its affairs, but this did not pre¬ 
vent his taking the business of tele¬ 
graph messenger fully into his heart, 
and soon becoming a trusted attache. 
Not only did the station officials find 

him a trusty messenger, but a leading 

132 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 133 

merchant of the town observing him as 
he went hither and thither, put into his 
hands some unyielding bills which he 
might collect as he met delinquent 
people or was in their locality, giving 
him twenty-five per cent on all such 
hopeless collections. And Mr. Mc- 
Camel, a canny Scotchman, chuckled 
contentedly over the small boy’s suc¬ 
cess where he himself had repeatedly 
failed. 

One day the train dispatcher came 
out on the station platform with a 
troubled look. 

“Hang it!” he exclaimed, “now I’ve 
held up that freight at the water tank 
to wait for the passenger to pass, and 
I’ve just learned it’s been delayed some 
six hours by an accident. The freight’s 

already left A- and I can’t wire 

them again. That’s a mess.” 



134 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

Then noticing Paul, he said: 

“Look here, Captain, you’re just the 
fellow I want. What do you say to 
going out on an engine about six miles 
to the water tank and staying till the 
freight comes along? The engine will 
have to come right back, you know, and 
leave you.” 

Paul thought a minute. 

“Will the freight be sure to stop?” 

“O, yes, it will have to stop there to 
water, besides I’ve wired it to stop 
there.” 

“All right,” said Paul. 

So the engine was made ready and 
the one small passenger, with his im¬ 
portant message, taken up to the water 
tank. 

Paul enjoyed the trip hugely, sitting 
upon the engineer’s seat in front and 
plying him with questions every inch 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 135 

of the way, which were good-humoredly 
answered. 

The water tank was situated in a 
lonely wood with the nearest habita¬ 
tions in the town of B-, six miles 

away. He must wait some hours for 
the freight; it was already late after¬ 
noon and Paul’s spirits drooped a little 
as the engine drew away, and the 
friendly face of the engineer faded 
from sight. He even felt a bit panicky 
for a while, but remembering that his 
father had said once he did not want 
a coward for a son, he gathered up his 
courage. There were wild beasts in 
the woods, he knew,—bears, wild cats, 
and with only the coal shed for refuge. 
Then, as darkness dropped slowly 
down, what should happen but that 
Aunt Sofy’s three ghosts, the big tall 
one and the two small ones on each side, 



136 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

all dressed in the whitest and coldest 
white, like nothing on earth, should 
station themselves in the dark, silent 
wood! 

To make matters worse, there had 
been a railroad accident not far from 
the water tank, and Paul had heard 
trainmen declare that they had seen 
repeatedly, when passing there, the 
ghost of the conductor who was killed at 
the time! How he shivered and anx¬ 
iously peered here and there in the dark¬ 
ness! 

Right sturdily, however, he stood his 
ground and was not molested by things 
terrestrial or celestial, and when the 
freight pulled up to the water tank, 
nobody suspected that the little mes¬ 
senger boy had been through mental 
tragedy. 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 137 

An experience of real danger came to 
him a few days later. 

The station platform was being ex¬ 
tended and the sleepers were laid, but 
not yet covered, when Paul attempted 
a foolish, boyish feat,—to board a mov¬ 
ing train from this unfinished part of 
the platform. In looking carefully to 
his footing, which he had to do, he 
failed to grasp the car rail firmly and 
was thrown directly upon the track be¬ 
tween two moving cars! But for that 
alert mind of his he must have been in¬ 
stantly killed. With a flirt like a fish, 
almost simultaneous with the fall, he 
threw himself from the track and lay 
on the ends of the ties which pressed 
against the sleepers of the unfinished 
platform, till the long train passed 
above him. Then he got up, white and 
shaken, but mercifully unhurt. 


138 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

The men who witnessed it held their 
breath, but shouted, “Good for you, 
Captain Pluck,” as he got up unhurt. 
The old nickname was always readily 
caught up by new associates. 

Paul’s position as messenger boy took 
him all over town, and the little place, 
at first fifty miles from a railroad, had 
grown under his young eye from the 
court house square with a fringe of 
stores around, and scattering dwelling 
houses beyond, to a hustling, full- 
fledged western town. The railroad 
had come sweeping past the first year 
the Shelton’s were there, and after it 
the town came on like a whirlwind, 
bringing in its train new business 
houses, hotels, saloons, and all the 
paraphernalia of evil against which the 
little church Mr. Shelton had organ¬ 
ized, and several of other denomina- 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 139 
tions, were vigorously pushing for¬ 
ward. The town having thus come up 
under the young eye of Paul, when 
he delivered telegrams there was no 
address that he could not easily find. 
Some of the messages took him to sa¬ 
loons and gambling houses, some to 
homes of the painted women of the 
time. He knew the nature of the places 
—but of what concern was that to him, 
a wholesome boy with all the moving 
pictures of nature and life and fun 
before him? What interest was there 
for him behind screened doorways from 
which came discordant, angry voices, 
and high, strident laughter? Or, 
stopping with a message at the door 
of a house of mystery and glimpsing 
a haggard, or painted, smirking face, 
what had it to do with him? Simply 
nothing: he knew them all as he did 


140 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

prairie fires and cyclones, and wanted 
much less to do with them. 

From one experience he had at this 
time it was not strange that the places 
for drink should be associated with 
things as undesirable as cyclones. It 
was one afternoon, almost twilight, that 
he was delivering a telegram on the 
edge of town, when he was suddenly 
conscious of people running in great ex¬ 
citement, and soon there appeared 
around the corner three furiously gal¬ 
loping horsemen, with huge pistols in 
their hands, which they shot terrifyingly 
in the air while they whooped and 
threatened everybody as they went. 
The center man, bigger and rougher 
than the others, cried out as he passed 
the startled boy, “Send yer Sheriff! 
Let ’im ’rest me if he dares!” Then 
unmolested, the man drew up to a saloon 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 141 
and ordered a bottle of whiskey brought 
out to him, while the people standing 
about in terrified groups, whispered 
that it was Bill Hearn, the outlaw who 
had been shooting up the country 
’round, taking deadly aim at innocent 
Negroes working in the fields, and 
killing any one who dared remonstrate. 
That was the sort of thing a Texas boy 
might see in the pioneer towns where 
whiskey flowed freely and was the 
source of much outlawry. These were 
things, then, with which Paul had no 
part nor lot. 

But often, as he came back from de¬ 
livering messages there were, perhaps, 
groups of boys eyeing keenly a bloom¬ 
ing watermelon lying on the pavement 
just beneath a grocer’s window, and 
then the cry came involuntarily from 


142 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

him, or some other boy, “Let’s plug for 
it!” 

Quicker than a flash a group lined 
up on the outer edge of the side-walk, 
jack-knives were out in a twinkling, 
and the big blades balancing at their 
tips from sturdy boy fingers. Then, 
with clever swing and throw, the blades 
flew toward the great melon, one after 
the other, and every knife that 
“plugged” safely toward the juicy 
heart of the green tempter left its 
owner exempt from any part in the 
payment therefor; but the knives that 
flew unsteadily, or out of line, doomed 
their owners to financial outlay. Paul 
had a steady arm, and a good boyish 
swing, so, oftener than not, he walked 
rapidly away munching his part of the 
crimson sweetness with no financial 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR I43 

outlay—which did not in the least af¬ 
fect its flavor. 

Another thing which beset his path 
were groups of boys deep in the in¬ 
tricacies of marbles, or the bold game 
of 'plugging tops.” That same steady 
arm and good boyish swing made Paul 
a frequent winner in either of these 
sports, and they were giants of tempta¬ 
tion in his path! But they must be 
passed by if he kept his job; and so, 
a little lingering to watch a game, and 
then speeding down the road to make 
up for it, was the usual extent of his 
yielding. His mind was not slow in 
resourcefulness, however, and he soon 
found compensation by having some 
chums gather at the back of the station, 
where a game could often be sand¬ 
wiched between errands. Then the 
great tops, through dexterous curve and 


144 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

throw, went spinning to the marked 
circle, and woe to the one which gave 
a last throb within the circle’s limit! 
For then it must be laid prone upon 
its side while all the other great, spin¬ 
ning fellows came “plugging” after 
it! Or, if the game were marbles, there 
flashed the beautiful many-colored 
agate taws, held so cunningly betwixt 
thumb and finger, then with dexterous 
twist sent straight to the goal—which 
meant the center marble or one of your 
fellow players’ “alleys” ranged around 
the circle, and which, if hurled from 
their places by the skillful onslaught 
of your taw, meant that the plugged 
beauty was yours for “keeps.” 

These were the things most worth 
while at first in the boy-world of Paul— 
and indulgently allowed so long as his 
keen eye and ear were ready for the 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 145 
least indication of need from within. 
But the mysterious clicking of the in¬ 
struments in the telegraph office could 
not fail eventually to catch Paul’s in¬ 
terested ear, and his every spare mo¬ 
ment was soon spent watching the 
process of sending and taking messages, 
and learning the alphabet. 

So cleverly did he put together bits 
of information that the operator soon 
rigged him up an instrument in the of¬ 
fice, without wire connection, of course, 
but on which he might practice. More 
and more each day did his ear learn to 
recognize the delicate shades of differ¬ 
ence in sound which make up the Morse 
alphabet. He found himself able to 
read messages as they came in! One 
day, when he had been in the office 
about six months, the operator hap- 


I46 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

pened to be out, as some one called per¬ 
sistently over the wire. 

Paul went up to the instrument at 
last and opened the key, his hand 
trembling a bit. But the minute the 
message began he forgot himself, and 
took it with the greatest ease. 

When the operator returned and saw 
the message, which was entirely correct, 
he said: 

“Good for you! I wouldn’t have 
missed that for a farm.” 

After this it was frequently a very 
convenient thing to get Paul to take 
or send a message; and often, too, he 
might have been found working side by 
side with the operator, for the office was 
a growingly busy one. 

When Paul had been there about 
eight months, the division superin¬ 
tendent came in one day, and said: 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 147 

“What am I going to do? The op¬ 
erator up at G-is down with fever, 

and there isn’t a man I can send in his 
place.” 

“I’m sure I don’t know,” replied the 
operator, “unless you take Paul.” 

“Paul? Why certainly, I’ll take 
anybody I can get. Who is Paul?” 

The operator stepped to the door and 
called the boy in from the platform, 
saying “This is Paul.” 

The superintendent’s face clouded, 
—he was in no mood for a joke, but 
the operator instantly said: 

“Sit down, Paul, call up Galveston 
and get the latest press report on the 
election. Tell Jordan you must have 
it for the superintendent.” 

The superintendent listened in as¬ 
tonishment as the boy gave and re- 



148 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

ceived his message with perfect ease 
and accuracy. 

“Look here, my boy,” he said, “I 

want you to go up to G-and take 

charge there for a few weeks.” 

“I don’t know, sir, if Father will let 
me go,” replied the lad. 

“I will go home with you at once and 
we will ask him.” 

He was successful in so putting his 
need as to win Mr. and Mrs. Shelton’s 
reluctant consent, and Paul went up 
to take charge as station master and 
operator at G- at the age of thir¬ 

teen. 

As he sat on the operator’s stool his 
short legs did not reach the floor and 
the “new operator” became a huge joke 
for the railroad people, but none who 
observed him a while doubted that he 
understood his business. 




A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR I49 

A day or so after he arrived, two men 
walked behind him as he went to his 
boarding place. 

“1 tell you he is a formidable tele¬ 
graph operator, isn’t he?” laughed one 
of the men. 

‘Til wager he don’t weigh 100 
pounds,” said the other. 

“Well, I don’t know about that,” 
said the first man, “but I’ll take you 
up. 

So they joined the boy and asked 
him to stop in a store and settle the 
matter. Paul enjoyed the joke and 
readily went with them. One of the 
men lifted him upon the counter to 
the scales and he tipped them at 98 
pounds. 

Paul’s place of work was situated at 
a particularly lonely spot. The rail¬ 
way station was beside the railroad 


150 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

tracks, of course, but the town lay half 
a mile beyond it, while on the other 
side there was a deep, impenetrable 
wood, holding all sorts of possibilities 
—including, again, Aunt Sofy’s ghosts. 
The freight house was farther down 
the track, and there was more or less 
pleasant activity in its environs from 
seven in the morning till seven at 
night. After that there was only si¬ 
lence left for the two hours from seven 
to nine, at which latter hour the small 
station agent and telegraph operator 
might take his leave and make the 
dark, lonely walk to the town half a 
mile away. There is no old saying 
about the things that try boys 5 souls 
as there is about the trying of men’s 
souls; but Paul could have told graph¬ 
ically about some of them. The 
sounds that came from that mysterious 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 1 5 1 
wood, alone, during two hours each 
night would have made a volume, 
while they were accompanied by a 
simple phenomenon that made them 
nothing less than tragic. Above the 
station converged the wires leading 
down to the telegraphic instrument. 
When the wind passed through them, 
it played various harmonies which were 
quite at the will of the listener for 
interpretation. Paul had loved to hear 
them in the station at home when 
everything was still, for it was a sweet, 
beguiling tune which the wind-swept 
wires sent softly down to him. But 
now, alone at night, on the edge of 
that impenetrable wood, the tunes the 
wires sent might have been weird cries 
of departing souls! Sometimes they 
came in low moans of anguish, some¬ 
times in wild cries of fright and deso- 


152 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

lation! Many a night, especially at 
first, Paul scarcely took his eyes from 
the clock as he listened and longed 
for the hands to creep round to the 
hour of nine. How welcome then, 
during this interval, was a sudden tick¬ 
ing of the instrument, and the boy’s 
quick hand came in touch with the 
world again! But all things end in 
time, and so with each night vigil, 
which he learned to keep with more 
and more courage. 

When he reached the town itself, 
then all was changed. Everything 
was life and activity, for a small Texas 
town did not wake up fully till about 
nine o’clock. Usually the boy was too 
tired from the day’s work and cares to 
do anything but go to bed under the 
comfort of human nearness. But some¬ 
times he had curiosity to know what 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 153 

everybody else was interested in, and 
made investigations. He dropped into 
a variety show one night and really 
looked for the first time upon gaudy 
costumes and listened to vile jokes. 
The boy’s clean soul made quick recoil. 

“If that’s what grown folks like, 
then I hope I’ll always stay a boy!” 

And he slipped from the place and 
went to bed,—but the smirch did not 
leave him for a long time. It came 
back, however, only to renew his dis¬ 
gust. There was no analyzing or de¬ 
fining, but just rebellious casting off,— 
and angry impatience at having to re¬ 
peat the process. 

But there came a real temptation and 
weak yielding which must be recorded. 
It was the hot summertime, in the 
long, simmering, blistering days of 
July when Paul took charge of the 


154 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

station, and a few days after his ar¬ 
rival there came the noisy chatter and 
wholesome whooping of a party of boys 
along the road from town. Paul was 
instantly on the platform in friendly 
comradeship. This was reciprocated 
with lusty urgings to him to come 
along, too. 

“Where T’ asked Paul. 

“To—der—swimmin’ hole,” came 
lustily in response. 

Now, if there was anything that 
made more urgent appeal to Paul than 
anything else under the sun, it was a 
swimming hole! For, having survived 
an early drowning, swimming had 
taken first place in recreation for Paul. 
But he shook his head slowly, for 
hadn’t he agreed to take charge of that 
station? So, in spite of urgings and 
sneers, he kept his place stubbornly. 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 155 

But the simmering days went on and 
on, with the enticing group of boys 
coming and going, and there is an old 
adage to the effect that constant drip¬ 
ping will wear away stone,—which 
may be true. At any rate, Paul, who 
was a keen observer, began to note that 
the dull hour in business at the station 
was strangely coincident with the 
swimming hour for the boys. He sud¬ 
denly decided one day that he would 
see that swimming hole! 

Now, seeing a swimming hole, for 
a boy, is absolutely fatal. This one, 
in the depth of the cool forest,—even 
though not far away,—was all that 
was ideal in the way of swimming 
holes. And, topping its mirroring 
depths at one corner, was an ideal 
spring board from which one dived to 


156 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

the hidden treasury in the pool’s deep¬ 
est depths! 

Paul’s limited costume was off in a 
twinkling, and down he went from the 
tallest tip of that spring board! 

After that, almost every day, he took 
that drowsy hour of business and trans¬ 
ferred it to the swimming hole! (A 
faithful biographer must tell facts.) 

To offset this yielding to the mortal 
demand of boyhood, however, came an 
unexpected levy upon the boy’s cour¬ 
age and stability for the things of men. 
A band of desperadoes was terrorizing 
many Texas communities. They rode 
daringly into town after town, shooting 
and looting at their will. Sheriffs in 
all that region were energetically try¬ 
ing to “round them up.” When a 
burly, big Texan with justice in his 
eye walked into Paul’s station one day 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 157 

at this time, he scowled at the slight, 
boyish figure which was all the official 
equipment in sight. 

“Whar’s the agent an’ wire man?” 
he thundered. 

“I’m the agent and telegraph op¬ 
erator.” 

Paul thought for a few minutes he 
would be devoured on the spot. Fi¬ 
nally the man brought out—“They 
tole me thar warn’t nothin’ but a boy 
here, but I didn’t speck ter see er 
baby!” 

“I can do anything you want done,” 
said Paul, simply, and the keen eyes 
under the shaggy brows bored into the 
boy. “Send this here wire, and do it 
—quick,” the sheriff said gruffly, but 
with a kindly tone creeping in that 
warmed the boy’s heart. He sat down 


158 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

at once to the key and sent the message 
with swift, sure hand. 

When the answer came back and the 
boy read it from the ticking keys 
the sheriff’s eyes softened to a smile, 
and he said, “Skeezicks, you’ll do!” 

After pondering a little, ignoring the 

* 

boy, he suddenly turned and said, 
“How late do you stay here nights?” 
“Till nine,” Paul returned. 
“Anybody else stay?” 

“No.” 

“Well, I’ll be dad-burned,” the sher¬ 
iff exclaimed, an instinctive respect for 
the boy keeping him from more forci¬ 
ble expression. “Think you can stay 
till twelve, or mebbe atter, some nights, 
ef I want yer to?” 

“Yes,” said Paul, hesitatingly. 

“ ’Course yer can,” thundered the 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 159 

officer again, but with a kindly twinkle 
that made Paul surer. 

“Yer see/ 5 went on the big man, 
“you an 5 me’s got to get them bandits. 
It 5 s up to us, an 5 when we do, Pm er 
goin 5 ter take you away from this 
graveyard place an 5 make you my 
deperty. 55 * 

He went off, while Paul smiled to 
himself, for that telegraph instrument, 
with its wonderful possibilities, was far 
more alluring to him than a sheriff’s 
career. But outlaws and bandits were 
no smiling matter, as he had seen 
demonstrated at home. And so, there 
came more trying of a boy’s soul, for 
he did have to stay many nights till 
twelve or one o’clock, take the lonely 
walk to the town—when his young legs 
flew over every step of the way—with 
the possibility of bandits bursting upon 


l 60 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

him every moment! But even this 
flight was a relief after hours of lonely 
listening, never knowing what moment 
the bandits might burst in upon him at 
the key. Nevertheless he entered into 
the spirit of the chase, wired back and 
forth with excited interest, and was 
always delighted when the call for 
“Skeezicks” came. He knew then that 
it was his particular chief, the sheriff. 

There came a night in the very thick 
of the effort of the law against the 
desperadoes, when at one o’clock Paul 
did not think it was safe to leave the 
instrument. He wondered if he could 
stick it out all night. He didn’t know. 
He would try. Then he suddenly 
went around to see that everything was 
fast, doubled up some meal bags that 
lay in the corner of the room, and lay 
down on the floor with a simplicity of 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR l6l 
heroism that only youth could have 
achieved. He fell asleep instantly— 
but after an hour or so there came a 
persistent ticking that opened his eyes 
like a flash, and he was up at the in¬ 
strument as quickly. It was from his 
chief and proved the most necessary 
link in the chain that closed about the 
bandits, while right speedily their pun¬ 
ishment was meted out according to the 
methods of pioneer days. 

Next morning Paul went to his 
boarding house for breakfast as though 
nothing had happened, and no one 
would have known that he had any 
part in the “round-up” if it had not been 
for the sheriff. 

With the early fall days, the station 
master who had been ill, recovered, 
and again took his place. So, Paul, 
having finished his work as substitute, 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


162 

and won a pretty general reputation 
as the crack boy operator among the 
telegraph fraternity, returned to his 
home and resumed work in the office 
there. 

‘Til have to take that boy out of 
that office,” laughed his father; “they 
are making him a regular operator. 
They say they can’t keep him out of 
it.” But Paul, though slender of build, 
was strong of fibre, and was so happy in 
his work that he was left undisturbed a 
while longer. Then a relative of the 
family accepted the place of operator 
and found himself unable to take the 
“C.N.D. reports” (Commercial News 
Department), which gave the fluctua¬ 
tions in market price of products, dealt 
in minute fractions and decimals, must 
be very accurate and were exceedingly 
difficult. Paul had been working at 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 163 

them for some time and found no 
trouble with the task. So the new 
incumbent of the office raised Paul’s 
salary to forty dollars a month, and gave 
him the commission on the C.N.D. re¬ 
ports, amounting to ten dollars more, 
and Paul remained. Of course a new 
messenger boy was engaged. 

Paul remained at this work for a 
year as his salary was of great service 
in enabling Mr. Shelton to keep the 
girls at college. When the year was 
out he said to Paul: 

“Now, my son, back to school you 
must go.” The boy demurred at first, 
for business had proved fascinating; 
but obedience was a family law, and 
Paul once more took up his books for 
study after three years of business life. 


XV 


A YOUTHFUL DEBATER IS 
DEVELOPED 

T HREE years of study in the home 
schools followed for Paul, with 
tasks as well as play for the spare time. 
There was wood to be cut for the cook¬ 
ing and winter fires, garden and yard 
to be cared for, cows to be milked. 
Paul and Willie, now a stout boy of 
ten, attended to these tasks, the burden 
of it falling upon Paul who was four 
years the elder. 

The family was changing with the 
years: Flora and Blanche married and 
went to homes of their own, leaving 
Sallie and Ophelia as the “big girls,” 
while two little new-comers had been 

164 


A YOUTHFUL DEBATER l6y 

added, Ada and Susie. Seven girls 
flanked by only two boys the family 
records show. 

A busy life was the lot of that pio¬ 
neer mother. No help was to be had 
for the housework as it was impossible 
even for planters to get sufficient negro 
help. Cheerfully she worked on and 
on, always even-tempered, sympathetic, 
and helpful. It would be difficult per¬ 
haps to define the effect of her life 
upon the characters of her children, to 
say that she gave them this or that 
bent. From her came, rather, a steady, 
pervasive influence of deep, placid re¬ 
ligious feeling and strict integrity; 
also a certain fluent, poetical picturing 
of commonplace and spiritual things, 
—her face alight with inner visions,— 
which kept their imaginations active. 

It might be said that Paul inherited 


l66 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

in full measure her fluent tongue and 
vivid imagination. He combined with 
these a keen sense of humor and was 
quick to give things a ludicrous turn, 
which made him a lively member of the 
family, especially at table, all during his 
boyhood, gradually sobering down into 
the serious period through which most 
boys pass as they feel themselves im¬ 
portant factors in the world’s scheme. 

The church which Mr. Shelton had 
planted was growing with the prosper¬ 
ous town, and the Shelton children 
were always regular attendants upon 
church services and Sunday school, 
Paul continuing to go obediently, al¬ 
though it must be confessed he shared 
the opinion of most boys of his age: 
that he was “too big” and should not 
be expected to go. 

There was singular freedom in the 


A YOUTHFUL DEBATER 167 

discipline of the Shelton home. The 
children went freely about their tasks 
or play with little intervention or di¬ 
rection unless someone went flagrantly 
wrong, then the father spake out with 
brief, decisive command which rarely 
required repetition. One of these com¬ 
mands for the boys was against loafing 
the streets of the town at night. He 
did not object to their going out on a 
matter of business or to a respectable 
place of amusement, but idle walking 
of the business streets he would not 
permit. One night which Paul was 
spending with a chum some years be¬ 
fore had brought for him temptation to 
disobey this rule and he yielded. The 
matter reached his father’s ears by some 
unexpected route and when the old 
command had been renewed with the 
effectual emphasis of a stout switch 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


l68 

(the first and only time it was thus 
used with Paul), it was never broken 
again. 

At school the boy of fourteen took up 
his studies with all the old interest and 
stood well in his classes. He loved 
sport too, and was in the thick of things 
generally, and sometimes seriously. 
One day two of the boys, Hal Kendrix 
and Rob Hite, got into a desperate fight, 
and one of them took a knife in each 
hand brandishing them fiercely, while 
the other flew for a heavy plank. Paul 
seeing that both boys had completely 
lost their heads, stepped up to the one 
with the open knives, laying a hand 
upon his shoulder and begging him to 
stop. But the boy only flourished his 
knives all the more wildly. Paul 
stepped back and happening to look 
down at his hand found the blood 


A YOUTHFUL DEBATER 169 

streaming down from beneath his 
sleeve. This stopped the fight and 
Paul went immediately to the family 
doctor who found a severe cut in the 
arm requiring several stitches. The 
Doctor said had the cut been half an 
inch lower it would have deprived him 
of the use of his right arm. Hal Ken- 
drix had gone with him, and taking 
the good arm as they left said with an 
awkward tenderness that had in it a 
plea for forgiveness: “That’s what you 
get for being a Cap’n Pluck.” 

Paul soon proved an inveterate reader 
and filled in his spare minutes with 
“Jack Harkaway’s” adventures, and 
those of “Dick Lightheart,” to say 
nothing of novels of the “yellow back” 
variety which frequently held him cap¬ 


tive. 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


170 

Again his father spoke, and effec¬ 
tively. 

“See here, Paul, you are simply wast¬ 
ing your time with those books, to say 
the least. If you want romance and 
adventure I can supply you. See 
there,” and he pointed to a row of little 
black books at the top of a bookcase. 
“If you will read them you may have 
that entire set of books for your own, 
and if you do not enjoy them I shall 
miss my guess.” 

This brief word and direct propo¬ 
sition marked an epoch in the boy’s 
life. He at once began reading the 
small black books, Sparks’ American 
Biographies, and found the story of 
the lives of Washington, Israel Put¬ 
nam, Patrick Henry, Robert de la 
Salle, Nathaniel Green most entertain¬ 
ing reading. 


A YOUTHFUL DEBATER 171 

There were some maxims Mr. Shelton 
now and then repeated which stuck 
out in Paul’s memory: “You can do 
whatever you want to,” “If a thing is 
worth doing at all it is worth doing 
well,” and, “There is always room at 
the top.” These the boy never forgot 
and how much they influenced his life 
cannot be estimated. 

Paul about this time became greatly 
interested in the school debates. The 
youthful orators settled such disputed 
questions as these: “Which was the 
greater, Washington or Columbus'?” 
“Which gives the greater pleasure, pur¬ 
suit or possession of an object 4 ?” 
“Was the South justified in seceding 
from the Union 4 ?” “Was Lee or Grant 
the greater soldier 4 ?” and like weighty 
subjects, which required reading along 
profitable lines. So intense became 


172 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

the heat of debate that the boys some¬ 
times confounded oratory with personal 
animosity. 

When Paul and Hal Kendrix settled 
forever the question as to whether or 
no Washington was greater than 
Columbus, Paul most vehemently de¬ 
nounced his honorable opponent as a 
traitor to his country in his disparage¬ 
ment of Father Washington, and Hal, 
always a fighter, proposed to settle the 
matter of this personal attack after¬ 
ward by means of fists, but Paul suc¬ 
ceeded in laughing him out of it. 

Paul rose mightily in eloquence, and 
figures of speech fell glibly from his 
tongue. But that ready tongue had a 
trick of playing him false sometimes, 
and one night he brought down the 
house as he referred to the innocence 
of the unborn babe, meaning of course 


A YOUTHFUL DEBATER 173 

to cite the virtues of that well-known 
prodigy of innocence, the new-born 
babe. 

So three years went by and then the 
father’s word was: 

“You must go to college.” 

Vacation periods of these three years 
had been times of work for Paul with 
some hunting and recreation inter¬ 
spersed. It was about this time, too, 
that he began to note the flutter of 
pretty white dresses and gay colored 
ribbons, and sometimes to gaze specu¬ 
latively into a pair of merry eyes or 
wonder how the touch of some soft, 
straying curl would seem. 

He was deputy for the county tax 
assessor, helping to make out the offi¬ 
cial papers, which took him to the 
country. Another year he went with 
a friend on surveying trips as helper, 


174 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

camping out and sleeping on the long 
prairie grass with the exciting possi¬ 
bility of being bitten by a tarantula 
before morning. 

Alf Sea, another friend, was studying 
law, and Paul was frequently with him 
in the office of the town’s leading law 
firm where Alf studied, and the law 
began to make strong appeal to his 
boyish imagination, which finally crys- 
talized in a definite resolve to become 
a lawyer. Simultaneous with this de¬ 
cision came the intention of going to 
Congress, and the presidency of the 
United States was only a little less 
definitely fixed in his future. His 
father had said: “You can do anything 
you want to do,” and he took it liter¬ 
ally. 

One friend of Paul’s who had chosen 
a business career, and was making good 


A YOUTHFUL DEBATER 175 

progress, was an orphan boy, and about 
this time in looking over some old 
letters written by his father and mother 
he came upon a tender, beautiful pas¬ 
sage in a letter of his mother’s to a 
friend dedicating her boy to the work 
of the ministry. The boy was shaken 
to the depths of his soul, and came 
forth afterward firm, happy in his de¬ 
termination to preach the gospel. 

Paul shook his head at this. “I 
would not want anything like that to 
happen to me,” he said, “for I could 
not be a preacher to please any one 
living or dead.” 


XVI 


A COLLEGE BOY 

O BSERVING the somewhat droop¬ 
ing shoulders of his rapidly 
growing boy, Mr. Shelton decided to 
send him to a military school, and Paul 
accompanied by Hal Kendrix arrived 
in due course of time at the leading 
military, agricultural and collegiate 
school of the state. 

It was well equipped for the times, 
and several hundred boys were in at¬ 
tendance. 

A few days after Paul’s arrival two 
young fellows stopped him on the 
stairs, as he was leaving the dormitory, 
and introduced themselves. 

176 


A COLLEGE BOY 177 

Prencher and Sleed were their names, 
and one of them said: 

“You are a new-comer, we see. We 
are old stagers,—were here last year. 
We’d like to know you, have you in 
our company, and as we want another 
roommate, will be pleased to take you 
in with us.” 

This was a surprising offer, as both 
were commissioned officers, and Paul 
had already observed were school lead¬ 
ers. 

He replied appreciatively but said 
he had come with a boy from his home 
town, they were rooming together, and 
he would not feel that he could desert 
his friend. 

“However,” he said warmly, “if 
things should turn about so as to make 
this possible I will gladly accept your 
offer.” 


178 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

This did not come about for some 
months, but the three boys were from 
the first strong friends and associates. 
Prencher was of German descent, and 
a fine scholar. Sleed, though not quite 
so fine a student was greatly respected 
by all for his fine, manly qualities. 

Two literary societies were organ¬ 
ized, Paul joining one with his two 
new friends. 

The work of organization went 
slowly. To many of the boys it was 
a new experience, and even students 
of the previous years seemed to care 
little for it. 

Paul saw the lack of interest, and 
rising, made a ringing little speech, 
outlining possibilities which the society 
opened for them, and when he had fin¬ 
ished the boys applauded vociferously. 
“Captain Pluck 55 was made president by 


A COLLEGE BOY I79 

acclamation and took up the work with 
great interest, though he would greatly 
have preferred a place on the floor 
where he might take part in debates. 
At all public meetings, however, he was 
always a speaker and their open de¬ 
bates were attended with great interest 
by people of the community. Of 
course girls were charming constituents 
of the audience and the loyalty of some 
fair listener was great inspiration to 
each individual speaker, while bou¬ 
quets with fluttering ribbons from these 
fair hands at the conclusion of a mas¬ 
terly effort crowned occasions that come 
only once in a lifetime to mortals. 

Paul’s devotion to the literary so¬ 
ciety cost him dearly at one time. Just 
after he had called the meeting to order 
a messenger came in to tell him that 
a box had arrived for him by express. 


l 80 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

Feeling that he must not neglect his 
duty there, Paul simply signed for the 
box and went on with the meeting. 
At the close he gathered some special 
friends about him, and said: 

“Fellows, I’m sure there is a treat 
in that box, which has just come from 
home by express, and I want you to 
enjoy it with me.” 

There was enthusiastic acceptance of 
the invitation, and a hilarious little 
party went in search of the box only to 
find it gone, absolutely gone! They 
looked high and low, not giving up the 
search till late that night. 

Next morning a letter came, item¬ 
izing the contents of the box, and 
increasing the poignancy of regret. 
When Paul read the list over to his 
group of friends there was resounding, 


A COLLEGE BOY l8l 

sympathetic response as the contents 
were unfolded. 

‘Tie,” (moans), “silver cake/' 
(louder moans), “gold cake,” (intense 
moans), “preserves,” (deep groans), 
“pickles,” (deeper groans), “fruit 
cake,” (dismal, frantic howls) ! 

The letter also said that a pair of 
shoes for Hal Kendrix had been in¬ 
cluded in the box, and that doughty 
warrior immediately announced that he 
would whip the fellow that had his 
shoes. Whether or not this threat 
brought forth any clues would be hard 
to say, but the fact remains that the 
investigating party were led to search 
the stable where they found an empty 
box and a few crumbs eloquent with 
the pathos of “might have been.” A 
search in the hay brought to light Hal 
Kendrix’s shoes, but the mystery of the 


I 


l 82 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

theft was never revealed. There were 
suggestions about the stable boy, but 
Paul and his friends always had their 
suspicions about Sloan, leader of the 
rival society, and his crowd, who had 
been especially sympathetic over the 
loss. 

“Blind Tom,” a wonderful negro 
musician who traveled about the coun¬ 
try giving concerts at that time was 
announced to give one of his entertain¬ 
ments at a near-by town. Some of the 
college boys suddenly developed great 
appreciation of the art of music, and 
in spite of refusal from the authorities, 
in one of those unaccountable rebel¬ 
lions which sometimes seize students, 
determined to go without permission. 
Paul and his crowd, including Prencher 
and Sleed, with Sloan and one or two 
others made up the party of ten. They 


A COLLEGE BOY 183 

hired a big, two horse wagon and went 

to the town of M- some six miles 

away, making a great lark of it. 

When they were seated in the con¬ 
cert hall, who should walk in and be 
placed exactly opposite them, but one 
of the college professors! 

There was consternation at first and 
a slight attempt at bravado, but they 
subsided soon into a highly decorous 
party. 

On the way home there was some 
anxious discussion of the outcome, for 
the offense was one which called for 
either expulsion, or reduction to ranks, 
as most of them were commissioned 
officers. But the night air was exhil¬ 
arating, some of the boys had had re¬ 
course to cheering spirits of a most 
questionable sort, so the party grew 
merry, and a bit reckless withal. They 



184 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

bowled along over the road at high 
speed and suddenly the horses swerved 
from the beaten track, and before any 
one could check them, had plunged 
down an embankment into a ravine, 
overturning the wagon. It was surely 
a kind providence that spared those 
erring boys in that dangerous accident. 
Not one was seriously hurt, but when 
they got upon their feet there was a 
commotion from beneath the wagon, 
scrambling and smothered outcry. 
Looking about they realized that Paul 
Shelton had been caught beneath the 
wagon body as it overturned. Of 
course they released him speedily as 
possible, and he proved to be unhurt 
like the rest. 

It was a trying task to extricate the 
frightened horses, and a marvel that 
they, too, were unhurt, also to right the 


A COLLEGE BOY 185 

wagon and draw it up the embank¬ 
ment, while most of the handkerchiefs 
of the party were torn into ribbons to 
put the harness in shape and make even 
a slow, careful driving the remainder 
of the way possible. 

They reached the college about day¬ 
light and stealthily made way to their 
rooms. 

Paul said to Sleed as they undressed 
that he did not see how there was any 
room under that wagon body for him. 
“The thing was just chock full of re¬ 
morse,” he added, laughing a little nerv¬ 
ously. And in the aftermath of teasing, 
Sloan took great delight in crying out 
anywhere as he happened to meet Paul: 

“O, Shade of Captain Pluck! Please 
hurry! Get me out of here, O please!” 
And Paul lay in wait to get even. 

The professor who saw them at the 


l86 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

concert was called away on a sudden 
trip, without even returning to the col¬ 
lege, and on coming back a week later, 
though the guilty ones trembled, 
nothing was said. They never knew 
whether he forgot it or was merciful, 
but they were deeply grateful and most 
of them had learned a valuable lesson. 

Not long after this a young minis¬ 
terial student named Chilton was on 
guard one night. He was small, with 
curly, yellow hair and blue eyes—“the 
baby” some contemptuously, some af¬ 
fectionately, called him. 

The guard room was located at the 
right of the short entrance hall which 
contained the branching stairways and 
joined the long hall which ran through 
the dormitory at the middle of the 
building. It was four stories high, 
each floor having the divided stairways, 


A COLLEGE BOY 187 

long hall and short cross halls lead¬ 
ing to small front balconies. On the 
fourth floor was the large chapel. 

Chilton sat alone in the guard room, 
with his books, studying. Suddenly 
faint, distressing moans began to come 
from the entrance hall. Chilton lis¬ 
tened a bit while the moans increased, 
and then he stepped out of a rear door 
into the long hallway and looked to¬ 
ward the entrance from whence came 
the sounds. A lamp, swung from the 
ceiling, burned dimly at the foot of the 
stairs and just beneath it stood a star¬ 
tling apparition: a tall figure clad in 
flowing white with a face like the face 
of the dead, blanched and hollow-eyed, 
moaning in blood-curdling unearthli¬ 
ness. One instant Chilton stared, then 
drawing his sword plunged for the 
ghost. This was an unexpected turn 


l88 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

of affairs, and when the ghost realized 
it, instead of being the remorseless pur¬ 
suer of a frightened, curly-haired 
“baby,” he found himself fleeing for his 
very life from that same curly, yellow¬ 
haired “baby.” Up stairs they both 
flew, flight after flight, the long legs of 
the ghost keeping well ahead, till the 
fourth floor had been reached and then 
he disappeared. Chilton hurriedly 
peered right, and left, then searched 
the hall thoroughly and at last stepped 
into the chapel. All was still, nothing 
visible. He waited at the door, not 
willing to give his game a chance to 
escape, while he peered into every nook 
and corner. Finally a bit of white 
caught his eye from behind the rostrum 
and instantly he went for it. But the 
long-legged ghost again eluded him, 
and again both were fleeing down flight 


A COLLEGE BOY 189 

after flight of stairs! On the second 
floor Chilton lost sight of him again 
and stopped a moment puzzled. Not 
a sound was to be heard. He tried 
door after door, but all were locked. 
At last he hurried down the short cross 
hall to the balcony in front. All was 
still there, but critical searching at last 
revealed a sprinkle of flour on the edge 
of a window sill. 

“Ah, ha!” said Chilton, and raising it, 
stepped lightly into the room of the 
well-known Sloan. This worthy officer 
slept peacefully, even snoring slightly 
in the depths of his slumber. But Chil¬ 
ton struck a match, and revealed the 
flour-besmeared features of the ghost. 
Stepping back the guard also caught 
sight of a big, white roll beneath the 
bed! 

“You are my prisoner,” said Chilton. 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


190 

The next hour was spent in frantic 
pleading by the big fellow that little 
Chilton would spare him. A report of 
the episode would surely result in 
Sloan’s reduction to ranks,—a humilia¬ 
tion, a disgrace he could not face. 
Death seemed to him then far prefer¬ 
able. 

Chilton was long obdurate, keeping 
Sloan in torture, but finally yielded. 

The story leaked out, however, and 
Paul found full revenge in meeting 
Sloan with : 

“Please, Chilton, p-l-e-a-s-e . 55 

Sloan was a great practical joker 
and continued an unsparing tease in 
spite of his severe lesson. Many of 
the boys had suffered, and it was finally 
decided among them to punish him 
severely. They arranged a mock court 
and proposed to give him trial. The 


A COLLEGE BOY 191 

night was appointed, the boys gathered, 
and the sheriff was sent to arrest and 
bring in the prisoner. 

Sloan was brought in, stupefied with 
surprise and apprehension. The prac¬ 
tical joker is always most illy prepared 
to take a joke himself, not being able 
to even recognize one when he is the 
victim. 

A long paper was unrolled as he 
stood before the judge and Paul, as one 
of the prosecuting attorneys, read the 
indictment. It was from the president 
of the college, stating that it had come 
to his notice that Sloan had secretly 
secured from the steward favors in the 
form of cakes and knick-knacks be¬ 
tween meals, having a secret under¬ 
standing with said steward. Also that 
he had been observed to delay giving 
the order to leave table at meal time 


192 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

so that he might secrete about his per¬ 
son certain choice bits from the table. 
Further, that he had been known to 
remain until an unreasonable hour 
when calling upon young ladies. 
These and like enumerated offences 
were serious misdemeanors, and the 
president wished his fellow students 
to try his case in regular military court, 
and would suggest the fixing of the 
punishment at nothing less than reduc¬ 
tion to ranks, while the maximum pen¬ 
alty should of course be expulsion from 
school. 

Only the obtuseness of a practical 
joker would have accepted these trivial 
charges as anything but a hoax. 
Sloan sat down under them in bewil¬ 
dered terror. The trial of the case 
went on in solemn reality, not a boy 
wavering in seriousness, in spite of the 


A COLLEGE BOY I93 

terrible temptation to laugh. Wit¬ 
nesses were brought in, those for the 
prosecution being thoroughly primed, 
those for the defense bewildered, un¬ 
informed. 

Then came the speeches by the at¬ 
torneys for the prosecution and de¬ 
fense, when rhetoric flowed and argu¬ 
ment was at white heat; finally came 
the judge’s charge to the jury and their 
retirement. During the jury’s delib¬ 
eration of an hour the proverbial pin 
might have fallen in the court room 
without being heard, while Sloan sat 
with bowed head. The trial had taken 
the entire evening and the wee sma’ 
hours were at hand. 

Finally the jury appeared and the 
foreman announced the conclusion 
which had been reached. 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


194 

After a long, solemn preamble came 
the final verdict. 

“We, the aforesaid jury, do find 
John W. Sloan, high officer of the Cadet 
Corps, most gloriously—SOLD!” 

Fully three minutes passed before 
Sloan took in the import of the ver¬ 
dict, and then there was a transforma¬ 
tion. Springing to his feet he flung his 
cap to the ceiling again and again, 
then shook hands with everybody and 
the affair broke up in high glee. The 
lesson for Sloan, however, was most 
effectual. 

Paul and six of his choice friends 
formed a society, redolent of Grecian 
mythology. They called themselves 
the “Argonautae” and took the names 
of Jason, Acastus, Euphemus, Peleus, 
Mopsus, Tydeus, and Meleager, while 
in imagination they sailed away in the 


A COLLEGE BOY 195 

fleet ship Argo to capture the Golden 
Fleece,—Pleasure. 

These seven had delicious evening 
spreads and expeditions of various 
sorts together. One evening after a 
supper where wine flowed freely Sleed 
and Paul left the banquet room to¬ 
gether. Going to their room they sat 
down and after a moment both raised 
their heads and looked into one an¬ 
other’s eyes. 

“No, it won’t do,” said one, as 
though the other had spoken. 

“It certainly will not,” responded 
the other. 

“I don’t want to throw my life away 
in drunken debauchery—I’ve got a 
father and mother (with a little break 
in his voice) and if I hadn’t,” said 
Paul vehemently, “I wouldn’t want to 
do it.” 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


196 

“Neither would I,” said Sleed em¬ 
phatically, “and that is just where we 
are heading for—drunkenness. For 
one I’m done with it all.” 

“I’m with you,” returned Paul. 
They clasped hands and both went to 
bed. And in very truth they were 
done with it. No amount of persua¬ 
sion could get them to return to the 
Argonautae unless there was a com¬ 
plete change of program, to which the 
rest would not agree. 

This turn-about wrought an entire 
change in Paul’s college life. He had 
been caught by the glamour of leader¬ 
ship and popularity, while having been 
well prepared for the collegiate course, 
and with an alert mind, he had easily 
maintained a respectable standing in 
his classes. 

From the moment of his break with 


A COLLEGE BOY igj 

“the crowd” new ideals were formed, 
and while there was still plenty of 
wholesome fun for him, there was much 
more earnest study. 

He had been well advanced in Latin, 
Greek and mathematics when he en¬ 
tered, and soon forged to the front in 
all his studies. He had a peculiarity 
of mind that amused some of his pro¬ 
fessors. As the senior professor of 
mathematics put it: “A problem was 
either clear as a bell to Paul Shelton 
or he did not know one thing on earth 
about it.” 

He frequently groped hopelessly for 
a solution, and then all at once light 
flashed through it, as though an electric 
button had been touched, and he saw 
the whole thing in one swift glance, 
but he never let a problem go till the 
light did come. 


I98 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

So well did he apply himself that he 
completed the course in two years, and 
then was ready for the real world of 
work and achievement. 


XVII 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR 

AGAIN 

A T the completion of his college 
course Paul returned home, but 
soon felt that he should be at work 
and secured a situation as assistant 
manager in the Waco Western Union 
office, which was easily done, as “Cap’n 
Pluck” was well remembered in the 
telegraph fraternity. His intention to 
be a lawyer had become more firmly 
fixed during the college years, but he 
must earn something first in order to 
be able to study law, and he naturally 
turned to telegraphy. He fell into 
the work again in Waco with ease, and 
was frequently left in full charge of 

199 


200 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

the office. One evening as he sat read¬ 
ing near his instrument the editor of 
the leading daily paper came in. The 
press despatches had been delayed, and 
growing impatient, the editor had 
walked over to see what the prospect 
was for getting them. 

Paul looked up as the editor came 
in, and to his query as to when those 
Associated Press reports would get in, 
said courteously, ‘1 will see if I can 
find out.” And turning to his instru¬ 
ment laid a hand lightly upon the key, 
calling up Galveston. 

“What about those press reports?” 
was his query. 

“Be ready in half an hour,” came 
the reply. 

So the editor scribbled away in a 
note book and waited for the reports 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR AGAIN 201 

to come in, while Paul turned again 
to his book. 

At last came the wire call from Gal¬ 
veston, and putting aside his book, 
Paul again laid a slender, supple hand 
upon the instrument, while the editor 
sat by, an interested, though silent ob¬ 
server. 

Next morning a long article came 
out in the editor’s paper, a sort of medi¬ 
tation in which he had indulged while 
waiting in the telegraph office. He 
described the boy, not yet in his twen¬ 
ties, who with ease, skill and serenity 
laid his hand upon the marvelous lit¬ 
tle vital thing and tapped the world to 
bring forth the tale of its doings. 
Stories of war, pestilence and famine 
came tripping from his hand, accidents, 
murders, marriages and deaths. Slen¬ 
der, boyish, skillful, cool, he stood be- 


202 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


tween the town of Waco and the big 
world, daily stirring hearts with his 
tales of weal and woe. 

This bit of idealizing Paul did not 
soon forget, and it gave a new signifi¬ 
cance to his work. What if he should 
make an error and bring false tidings 
to those who trusted him as their 
knightly courier? A new note of 
faithfulness entered into his conception 
of his duty. 

Galveston, finding the young Waco 
operator a most satisfactory communi¬ 
cant, offered him a better salary to come 
to that city, and Paul soon left to 
accept the offer. 

Almost immediately after arriving in 
Galveston he was taken with an attack 
of fever. He was temporarily located 
in an old frame hotel near his work, 
with his room on the top floor, which 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR AGAIN 203 
was the fourth. It was certainly a 
dreary experience for the boy: a 
stranger, alone, sick, weak and, yes, 
homesick. The old doctor who tended 
him fully diagnosed his case, and la¬ 
boriously climbed the three long flights 
of stairs twice a day to administer 
comfort and good cheer as well as medi¬ 
cine. Servants waited upon him oc¬ 
casionally, and one of the men came 
in sometimes from the office, but the 
hours usually dragged by in deep lone¬ 
liness. At last came a startling diver¬ 
sion. At midnight it came, and Paul’s 
first intimation was in the form of a 
brilliant light in his room which sud¬ 
denly wakened him. He instantly 
arose in bed and lifting a shade which 
he could reach he looked out into a 
canopy of fire, as the wind brought 
over the building a storm of glowing 


204 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

cinders. It was a picture of horror 

which never left his mind. 

A large fire was in progress close to 
his hotel. Everything was in commo¬ 
tion at once, people running down the 
stairs, dragging trunks along the hall, 
banging doors, etc. Then all was dead 
silence in the building. Paul had re¬ 
ceived strict instructions from the good 
doctor not to leave his bed under any 
circumstances, and in consideration of 
the old man’s kindness he would not 
try to get up unless it was absolutely 
necessary. Courageously he waited 
alone on the top floor of that frame 
building, which was like tinder, and 
soon he heard men running on the 
shingle roof overhead, brushing off the 
storm of cinders which fell. Then he 
could hear them cry out, “It’s caught 
here,” “She’s afire there,” and “By 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR AGAIN 205 
jove, we’ll never save her!” Paul 
could stand it no longer. He crept 
out of bed and into his clothes, then 
dragged his trunk out to the top of the 
stairs. How he did it he never knew, 
nor how he tottered down the steps into 
the office. The clerk exclaimed as he 
went in, and ordered him back, but Paul 
laughed feebly and sat down. When 
he had rested a while, and the fire was 
reported under control, he crept back 
with help to his bed. The episode did 
not seem to hurt him in the least, how¬ 
ever, and before a great while he was 
at his work in the telegraph office. 

The interesting possibilities of a 
large city began to unfold for Paul, 
and while not wholly made captive by 
its glamour of pleasure, he made fre¬ 
quent excursion into its places of 


206 captain pluck 

amusement and found time flitting on 
rosy wings. 

The theater fascinated him. He saw 
many of Shakespeare’s plays, Macbeth, 
Othello, Hamlet, and so stirred was his 
imagination over their deep tragedy 
that he could not close his eyes in sleep 
after seeing one. 

Temptation came, and it was a 
critical period through which he was 
passing. He proved faithful to his 
work, however, and one sore trial which 
fell to his lot was a constant warning 
not to stray too far from safe paths. He 
roomed with another operator, a young 
man much his senior who had fallen 
into serious dissipation, and Paul’s ef¬ 
forts to keep him from drink, or to 
care for him when he had fallen, were 
a constant warning to him. In spite 
of this the boy’s life was drifting dan- 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR AGAIN 20J 

gerously. He cherished the intention 
to study law, but the money which he 
meant to save was all going. At the 
end of each month there was nothing 
left. 

One Sabbath afternoon, beautiful, 
clear, with a brisk little breeze, just an 
ideal one on the Bay, a friend proposed 
to Paul that they take two young ladies 
whom they often visited, out for a sail. 

“Just the thing,” said Paul. Sun¬ 
day was fast becoming no longer the 
Lord’s day, but the chief one for pleas¬ 
ure. 

The two young men, speedily secur¬ 
ing the company of their lady friends, 
made haste to the wharf and hired a 
boatman and his boat for the after¬ 
noon. Galveston Bay was beautiful, 
and they sailed on and on in merry con¬ 
verse till they began to feel the swell 


208 captain pluck 

of breakers from the great gulf of 
Mexico, which, should they enter it, 
would soon swamp their small craft. 

The old boatman turned and said: 

cc Young gentleman, ain’t this fur 
enough? I think it’s time we turned 
round.” 

Paul’s young man friend replied 
nonchalantly: 

“I’ll not be the one to say turn back.” 

“Nor I,” said Paul in the same spirit. 

“Then we won’t either,” laughed the 
two girls, and the four foolishly held 
to this bantering resolve. 

The old boatman went grimly on 
for awhile, till they were almost in the 
midst of white-capped breakers, the 
long swell of rolling waves tipping 
their boat dangerously as they shot up 
and then plunged down, while the girls 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR AGAIN 209 

screamed in delicious hysteria. Then he 
said: 

“Well, I am going no further, 
whether you say turn back or not/’ and 
turning his boat about he set his sails 
for the city again. But, before they 
could reach the quiet waters of the Bay, 
the wind died down to a dead calm, 
they could make no progress, and there 
was great danger of drifting back into 
the Gulf. 

All of the party recognized the situa¬ 
tion as a serious one, though the boys 
with great bravado made merry for the 
sake of the girls. 

At first they could not tell surely 
whether they moved or not, but anx¬ 
iously gazing shore-ward they could see, 
from moving spires and smoke-stacks, 
that they were really drifting away to 
the Gulf on the outgoing tide! 


210 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

The boat had no anchor, and each 
moment carried them farther and far¬ 
ther out, while the dead calm almost 
surely foretold a squall. Being Sun¬ 
day there were few tug-boats on the 
Bay and none was within hail of them. 

Paul left his seat with the girls and 
went back to the stern for a consulta¬ 
tion with the boatman. 

“Pelican Island is round here some¬ 
where, isn’t it,” he asked. 

“Yes,” the boatman replied, “it’s 
right out there,” pointing toward the 
Gulf a short distance from them. It 
was then getting too near night to see 
well. 

“It seems to me,” said Paul, “that we 
might steer our boat sufficiently to drift 
down and get behind that island.” 

“You mean on the gulf side?” 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR AGAIN 211 

“Yes,” responded Paul eagerly, 
“where the tide wouldn’t affect us.” 

“P’raps so,” said the man slowly, 
“and mebbe we might tie up there till 
the squall passes or a breeze springs 

j? 

up. 

“Surely,” said Paul with eager hope, 
and sat down with the boatman, to help 
if he could. 

Sure enough they soon found them¬ 
selves slowly drifting toward the 
island, further and further into the 
rough waters of the gulf as darkness 
settled about them, which frightened 
the two girls extremely, but Paul and 
the boatman assured them that every 
moment brought them nearer a hope 
of safety. 

At last they drifted within shelter of 
Pelican Island and tied their boat to 
the shore. The relief was immense. 


212 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

As they waited motionless, however, 
the girls to their credit, became dis¬ 
tressed over the worry of their parents. 
Neither girl had told at home of the 
nature of their Sunday outing, but had 
left it to be supposed that they were 
going for a stroll on the beach. They 
might have to remain in the motion¬ 
less boat till morning. Their distress 
and remorse were intense, and the boys, 
not without serious compunctions of 
conscience themselves, gave up all ef¬ 
forts of cheer. 

A tedious, trying hour passed and 
then came a gentle breeze which 
swelled a bit now and then. They set 
sail thankfully and slowly made their 
way around the island, by a long, cir¬ 
cuitous route back to the city, reaching 
there about one A. M. 

Their joy was too deep for many 


A TELEGRAPH 'OPERATOR AGAIN 213 
words when they landed at last, and 
though there was much humiliation in 
restoring the girls to their parents, the 
boys faced it and remained long enough 
to take the entire blame of the unfor¬ 
tunate expedition upon themselves. 

Walking home alone, Paul said 
grimly to himself: 

“Some of Uncle Ed’s luck again got 
me out of that hole, but there certainly 
wasn’t any pluck mixed with it, or I’d 
have had the courage, as well as sense, 
not to keep that silly compact never to 
say turn back.” 

This was a most wholesome note of 
discontent, and it continued to sound 
in the depths of Paul’s consciousness 
for days afterward, till it pervaded his 
attitude toward his entire course of 
life. 

“Here I am,” he said disgustedly to 


214 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

himself, “intending to study law, and 
not turning a hand toward that end— 
spending every cent as I make it.” 

It was just about this time, too, that 
Gen. Grant stopped at Galveston on 
the return from his trip around the 
world. Strange as it might seem to 
northerners, the city went wild over the 
visit. 

Paul joined the throng of people 
hurrying to the wharf for the moment 
of landing, and finally succeeded in 
getting a point of vantage where, from 
afar, he might get a glimpse of the 
great man. 

Cheers went up from the throng as 
the tug with flags flying steamed into 
view, cheers which echoed and re¬ 
echoed until the tug paused at the 
wharf. Then a hush, profound in its 
breathlessness, fell upon them as each 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR AGAIN 21 5 

individual reached and strained for the 
coveted glimpse, and the cheering was 
again caught up as the great man 
stepped within view of the waiting 
thousands. 

Paul, while keenly feeling the thrill 
of the world’s appreciation of the 
famous general, indulged in some 
philosophizing as he strolled away. 
Here was all this crowd of people eager 
to get a glimpse of the sleeve or top 
of the hat of a great man. If the 
effort were to take him by the hand and 
get inspiration from a look into his 
strong face it might be worth while, 
but they were simply striving for a 
husk, it seemed to him. 

Was he not going with the crowd 
after husks in more senses than one? 
He must, like the famous man himself, 
strive for the kernels of life,—the best, 


216 captain pluck 

the highest things, if he ever amounted 

to anything. 

It was just then, too, that a man in the 
office for whom he had great liking and 
respect, put a little book in his hands, 
advising him to read it. “Politics for 
Young Americans, 5 ’ was the title, and 
it set forth the highest ideals for Amer¬ 
ican statesmanship, which fired Paul 
anew with the determination to study 
law, and awakened a new sense of his 
responsibility as a man and a citizen. 

“I ought to begin to study law at 
once,” he said. 

To see a thing clearly always meant 
action with Paul, if action were called 
for, and resigning his position in the 
telegraph office, he decided to return 
home and begin his study of law at 
once. Mr. Shelton had told him at the 
conclusion of his college course that he 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR AGAIN 217 
could remain at home and begin his 
law study there without delay, but 
Paul had felt that he ought to earn 
something first to support himself, as he 
had been on heavy expense during the 
two college years. Now he had failed 
most ignominiously, it seemed to him, 
and somehow he felt like going home 
to begin over again. 

During all the years he had been 
away, letters full of the dear home life 
had come regularly to him; they were 
never dictatorial, but the tender love 
and interest, the high hopes for him 
which they always breathed, were 
strong safeguards and subtle directors 
of his course. 

Arrived at home, after a day or two 
of rest and enjoyment, he started down 
to the business portion of the town to 
make plans for study in some law office, 


218 captain pluck 

and stopped in for a moment at the 

Western Union. 

His old friend Ben Merrit was in 
charge there; the two had a rare talk 
about old times, and then Paul told 
Ben about his intention to begin at once 
the study of law. 

“The thing I hate about it, though,” 
he said, “is staying here on expense, 
which I can’t meet, while I study. 
There are the two little girls coming 
on at home, you know, who need educa¬ 
tion and must have it,” he said ve¬ 
hemently. 

Ben thought a minute. 

“See here,” he said, “why don’t you 
go to Dallas, or some city where there 
is opportunity, and get work for a few 
hours a day in the telegraph office, 
which would pay you enough to live 


A TELEGRAPH OPERATOR AGAIN 2ig 
on while you study, and give you the 
time. There are always a few hours a 
day when there is a rush at a city of¬ 
fice, and your fame as ‘Cap’n Pluck, 
the Crack-a-Jack operator 5 is well 
known. I believe you could get the 
place all right. 5 5 

Paul smiled at the last, but he was 
caught at once with Ben’s suggestion. 
He turned about and went immedi¬ 
ately home to consult with his father. 

Mr. Shelton considered a moment, 
then he said: 

“I think it 5 s the very plan for you. 
I am glad to have you stay right here 
and study, but I see already you are 
going to be restive under earning noth¬ 
ing, while the plan to work and study 
at the same time will hold you to your 
resolve by supplying your mind with 


220 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


interesting, purposeful occupation,— 
which it demands.” 

So it was settled, and Paul took the 
train for Dallas next day. 


XVIII 


A STUDENT OF LAW 

A RRIVED in Dallas Paul went at 
once to the Western Union office. 
He made his proposition to the man¬ 
ager to work six hours of the busiest 
part of the day for part pay, and re¬ 
ceived kindly, but decided response. 
There was no such opening in the office. 

“It would be establishing a bad pre¬ 
cedent,” the manager said, “and make 
dissatisfaction to allow you to work 
only a few hours each day. However,” 
he continued, “we are unusually busy 
just now and a man short, so I would 
be glad if you would stay a week and 
help us out.” 


221 


222 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

Paul decided to do so, as it would 
give him time to determine his next 
move. 

After a day or two of work the As¬ 
sociated Press reports were given him 
to receive. The sender of these was the 
most rapid operator in the state, and 
was accustomed to frequent “breaks” 
from receivers to give them time to 
catch up. When Paul took the key, to 
the sender’s astonishment, there were 
no breaks and he poured the “hot stuff” 
in a steady stream. At last it was the 
sender who made a pause. 

“Who in thunder are you 4 ? Cap’n 
Pluck—Shelton, of Galveston 4 ? I don’t 
know any one else who could do what 
you are doing.” 

Paul laughed and replied: 

“Shelton it is.” 


A STUDENT OF LAW 223 

“Then stay where you are, don’t you 
leave Dallas on your life, this is some¬ 
thing like,” and then the stream poured 
on again. 

In a little chat later with the sender 
of the Press reports Paul told him he 
was only in the Dallas office tempora¬ 
rily and stated the whole case to him. 

“Well,” said the operator, “we’ll see 
what we’ll see.” And when it was con¬ 
venient he talked over the wire with 
the Dallas manager. The upshot of 
this was that the manager came to Paul 
at the end of a week agreeing to the 
original proposition that Paul should 
work six hours a day and have the 
remainder of the time for study, but 
also proposing to give him full pay. 

“The work we shall give you to do is 
the most difficult we have, there isn’t 


224 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

a man on the force who can do it satis¬ 
factorily, and they know it, so there will 
be no trouble about it, while your hours 
will be from six to twelve at night/’ 

So the agreement was made, Paul 
was delighted, and entered upon his 
study of law with enthusiasm. 

It so happened that, through the 
family with whom he boarded, request 
was made of him to sleep at night in 
the house of a wealthy family, whom a 
sad tragedy had driven from their home 
in the hope of diversion and help by 
travel. Paul, with a young reporter for 
company who boarded at the same 
place, agreed to do so, as it added some¬ 
thing to the income of both. 

The house was located on the edge 
of town, and Paul had a long walk 
through the quiet streets each night 


A STUDENT OF LAW 225 

when his work was done, arriving in 
utter darkness at the place about one 
A. M. Only the business streets of the 
city were lighted at that time. 

While Paul would have been far 
from acknowledging any fear, it really 
took some courage for the youth of 
twenty-one to enter that deserted house 
alone at that hour. But he put his 
lips together firmly each time and made 
his way to the room where he slept. 

It was elegantly furnished,—soft 
carpet, rich mahogany, delicate lace 
curtains, while over the mantle hung 
a massively framed portrait of the re¬ 
cently murdered owner, just opposite 
the bed! 

The reporter did not get in until 
three A. M., when mocking birds began 
to make morning merry with song, for 
it was summer, and he always knew 


226 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

company awaited him within. But 
Paul, having to come first, must spend 
the two most uncanny hours of night 
alone. 

To say the least, the situation was not 
conducive to prompt sleep; there was 
the inevitable tendency to listen for 
night sounds, which rarely fail the 
listener in a large, uninhabited house. 
After a few restless nights and conse¬ 
quent tension of nerves, as Paul lay 
staring into nothingness, Aunt Sofy’s 
three ghosts, dressed in the whitest and 
coldest white that ever was on earth, 
came suddenly into his consciousness— 
and relaxing completely he laughed out¬ 
right, then turned over and went to 
sleep. 

He had years before fought the final 
battle with those three ghosts of his 


A STUDENT OF LAW 227 

childhood, and now was not to be dis¬ 
turbed by the ghosts of ghosts! 

The lonely uncanniness of the big 
house disturbed him no more. 


XIX 


ANCHORED 


O NE Sabbath morning Paul was 
strolling alone. It was just an 
ordinary Sabbath day, giving no hint in 
its balmy air that it was to be a day of 
days for this young man, now six feet in 
height, slender, erect, alert. Neither 
was there any premonition on his part 
that an event which would shape all his 
future was just at hand. 

He passed a large public hall where 
many people were hurrying in. 

“Guess I will go in, too,” he said, and 
followed the crowd. 

A religious meeting was in progress. 
The songs were stirring, the people 

228 


ANCHORED 


229 

eager, expectant. There was something 
in the very atmosphere that roused the 
spirit into vital interest. 

When the speaker arose on the plat¬ 
form there was hushed attention. 
Simple, earnest, straightforward the 
talk was, but having that peculiar mag¬ 
netic quality which grips the listener. 
Paul soon lost consciousness of himself, 
the speaker and the crowd in a strange, 
new realism of spirit. His life had not 
been meditative, it was too full of 
action, and hitherto he had groped 
hopelessly in the maze of spiritual truth, 
—when he had given thought to it at 
all—as he had sometimes groped with 
mathematical problems. Now the elec¬ 
tric button was touched. A bright 
gleam from the very eternal throne 
itself seemed to light up the recesses of 
his soul! 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


230 

He did not know how it had come 
about, but he seemed suddenly to com¬ 
prehend the meaning of life! A simple 
thing, after all, when one saw it clearly. 
Life was linked with eternity—each in¬ 
dividual soul coming from God, going 
to God, serving him, holding com¬ 
munion with Him, having constant 
companionship with Him all along the 
way! 

He was suddenly in the light and the 
light brought joy, exhilaration. There 
was no possibility of another aimless 
day. His face was turned toward a 
definite goal, the goal of eternity which 
God should finally reveal—a goal more 
eagerly to be sought because hidden in 
divine mystery, because 

“behind the dim unknown 
Standeth Christ within the shadow 
Keeping guard above his own.” 


ANCHORED 231 

He had been cleansed and quickened 
by the power of Christ and he “stood 
God-conquered with his face to heaven 
upturned.” 

As he walked exultantly away from 
the meeting, light flashed back over all 
his past, and he marveled at its various 
ways, its dangers, its temptations, its 
struggles; how he had been kept in the 
hollow of God’s hand through them all, 
made to grow strong and independent in 
spirit and body, so that he might stand 
at this new threshold, ready to enter 
upon a new life. 

He went home at once, was received 
with high joy, and there made public 
acknowledgment of his God and Master. 

There was an after process of doubt 
and readjustment which need not be 
followed in detail, but life took def- 


232 CAPTAIN PLUCK 

initely upon itself a new, vital meaning 
for him. And then an unexpected, seri¬ 
ous disturbance of mind followed. 

A gay, young girl of whom he had 
been seeing much the few weeks pre¬ 
vious, bantered him about it. 

“I believe you are going to be a 
preacher,” she cried at last. 

That was it! The gay words de¬ 
fined his trouble. They pierced his soul 
with another sudden revelation. Yes, 
here was the issue before him. Should 
he preach the Word of God and give his 
life to service to men? 

Long and fiercely he struggled. De¬ 
sire, ambition clamored for the law, 
his chosen profession. The Spirit of 
God called him to a higher work. 

He took the train again for home. 
Home was the Mecca when high things 
stirred his soul. 


ANCHORED 233 

His father met him all unknowing. 

“Father,” he cried in a ringing voice 
as he stretched out a hand, “I must 
preach!” 

The problem was solved with one 
look into his father’s face. 

“My son, my son,” the father said 
brokenly, while the mother’s eyes shone 
like stars as she took him in her arms. 

There followed two years of frugal 
industry during which he laid by a 
sum sufficient for the necessary theo¬ 
logical training, and thoroughly won 
the old title, “Captain Pluck.” 

The gay voice and merry face of his 
girl-friend faded for him along with the 
girl-faces which had held him briefly 
now and then, while in the brightness 
of the great unknown which stretched 
before him waited his mate, for 


CAPTAIN PLUCK 


234 

“Two shall be bom the whole wide world apart 
and have no thought 

Each of the other’s being, and no heed . . . 
And all unconsciously shape every act to this 
one end— 

That out of darkness they shall meet 

And read life’s meaning in each other’s eyes.” 


On the night of Paul’s return home, 
when the household was at rest and he 
was sleeping the sleep of youth and high 
determination, his father and mother, 
with strong sprinklings of gray about 
their temples, sat side by side looking 
gladly into each other’s eyes. 

“Shall we tell him of our prayer at 
his birth*?” said the mother softly. 

“No,” returned the father, decidedly. 
“Let the Master continue His work 
without our interference.” 

And it was not till the thirty-fifth 
birthday, after years of successful min¬ 
istry, that Paul received a letter from 


ANCHORED 235 

his father telling of the first sight, early 
one morning thirty-five years before, of 
a bundle of muslin and lace which held 
his son Paul; and of the dedication by 
father and mother of that first-born son 
to the ministry. 


THE END 





















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